


Introductions

by Emerald_Gay



Series: A Different Foundation [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Faunus mechanics, F/F, F/M, Fictional Languages, Homophobia, M/M, Multi, Penny is Weiss's bodyguard, Penny press/Daily Mail ship, Poly is endgame, Raven stayed and Tai left, Ruby and Yang have the Branwen name, Summer is alive, Trans main characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25531105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald_Gay/pseuds/Emerald_Gay
Summary: Follow the adventures of team BWPR (Blueprint) and team LYNN (Lynx) as they make their way in the world.The characters you know, just a little different.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee, Important relationships here specifically- others in background, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Melanie Malachite/Miltiades Malachite/Yang Xiao Long, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose, Pyrrha Nikos/Yang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen/ Taiyang Xiao Long (past), Raven Branwen/Summer Rose
Series: A Different Foundation [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849906
Comments: 30
Kudos: 92





	1. Red

Ruby Branwen loved the forest. She loved the way leaves fluttered in the breeze, the way they crunched under her boots in fall, the sparkling snow that weighed down branches in winter and the peaceful light of the full moon at night. Today, the heat of the summer day was beginning to die down as the sun started to set, the hum of insects permeating the approaching dusk. It had enough space for her to think about the things that bothered her, far away from _other_ people.

She shook her head as she perched on a branch. _What went wrong today? Yang was in a better mood than usual because it was her birthday. She got a bigger allowance from Mam, and Mom even got her the upgrade for Bumblebee she’s been asking for for months now! Memo to self: Bumblebee’s fuel injection ports need to be cleaned - I heard it having some trouble yesterday. Fuck. I should tell Mom to tell Yang. Yang hates it when I make suggestions._

 _All I did was tell her I’d be attending Beacon with her, instead of being a year behind. I thought this would be a nice way for us to reconnect away from our parents and their expectations, but she was_ offended _that I hadn’t asked her first. Like I need permission to attend the school I want? You were just an added bonus. Admittedly, a bonus I miss terribly..._

Ruby’s thoughts trailed off. Her relationship with Yang had deteriorated greatly from their earlier years, so much so that Ruby wasn’t quite sure she hadn’t just imagined the happier times. _Yang going to look for Tai was probably the beginning of the end,_ Ruby reminisced, feeling for vague memories at the back of her mind. _That was the day we found out my eyes weren’t just gray._

All she could remember was screaming and a flash of white. But since then, the kid gloves were off, and Ruby’s mothers and uncle had begun training her in earnest. Not a day went by without some aspect of training thrown in until 10 years later, when Ruby finally convinced them she was ready by challenging Raven to a duel. She...didn’t die from the all-out assault from her Mam, and that was seen as enough in Raven’s stern eyes. She even managed to create a new scar on Mam’s leg! Something Summer immediately fussed over from her seat on the balcony of their small home.

 _Summer,_ Ruby sighed. _Mom._ She had seen the odd mix of pride and sadness in her mom’s eyes as she “graduated” that day. According to everyone else in Ruby’s family, Summer had been the light of everyone’s world when she was younger, always full of energy and life. That was still the case, but that light had now grown faint, with her ability to zip around constrained greatly by the wheelchair she was now bound to. She still made the best cookies and gave the best hugs - _Don’t tell your Mam that, Robin,_ Summer whispered conspiratorially _-_ but it was obvious to see she missed her life of adventure.

Ruby sighed, an action her current avian form was not built for; the sound came out as a sort of odd whistle instead. She preened slowly, stretching out her wings as she looked out over the cliff where the family graves were located. _The Rose family, all of them - even a fake one for Mom._ A rustling in the bushes beneath her made her spin around to see a pack of Beowolves staring up at her. _Of course. I thought about stuff too much and Grimm showed up_. Ruby smirked inwardly. _Perfect._

This was the other perk of thinking in the forest: no guilt about bringing the Grimm to her, and the added bonus of getting to fight the creatures. Ruby transformed with a whoop, pulling out her weapon as she backflipped down towards the ground.

The element of surprise allowed her to slice one Beowolf in half before the others even reacted to her landing. A quick burst from her eyes - _cuddling as a family on Yuleday -_ destroyed half the group, leaving six standing in bewilderment before they rushed the small girl. Ruby ducked under the first’s claws, simultaneously spinning Crescent Rose around to slice through the second’s neck. Letting the momentum carry her, she left the ground to speed her armored boot into the jaw of the third, knocking it to the ground as she rotated in midair to cleave its head in half on the back swing. _Four left_. She jumped upwards as the remaining Beowolves attempted to dogpile her, shifting Crescent Rose into sniper rifle mode. She aimed and fired, the recoil delaying her landing long enough to take a second shot. Both pierced their respective targets easily, the high-caliber gravity Dust rounds blasting through the chests of the lupine Grimm. They fell and began to dissolve as Ruby landed gracefully, regarding the final two.

One had been the first to rush at her, while the other seemed older; it had stayed near the back of the pack as she fought, analyzing her moves. _No matter. It’s not an Alpha, so it won’t live through this._ Ruby shifted Crescent Rose to its final form, a massive spear, before charging up her semblance. Leaving an explosion of rose petals in her wake, she leapt to the side, waiting for the second when the two Beowolves aligned in her sights. Pushing off a nearby tree, she launched herself at the Grimm like a rocket, her spear easily boring through their unarmored flesh. The final two dissolved as Ruby landed, dissipating her momentum by digging Crescent Rose into the ground behind her.

 _A job well done,_ Ruby thought, running her hand through her short red-black hair. She brushed off the rest of her clothes, checking for any scuffs or tears. Her mom’s old cape fluttered on her back, its length easily hiding Crescent’s holster. She wore a simple striped sleeveless shirt, an armored knee-length skort, leggings, and armored boots that were tough enough to withstand Grimm armor in a pinch (not to mention forging accidents). She had on a light jacket for the evening cool, and kept her Mam’s mask on her hip, just in case she ran into any locals or strange people out in the woods.

Just as she finished a once-over of Crescent and slipped it onto her back, her scroll began to vibrate. She pulled it out and checked the caller ID before answering.

“Hi, Mom,” Ruby said confidently.

“Hi, Sweetie,” Summer’s voice came through the speaker. “Was just wondering when you’d be coming back. It’s getting late and you’re-”

“A young girl in the woods,” Ruby laughed. “I know, Mom. But very few young girls are as trained as I am.”

“Something I’m grateful for everyday, but accidents happen.” Summer’s voice started out cheerful and energetic, but slipped into worry at the end.

“I know,” Ruby said as she shuffled in place uncomfortably before stretching out with a big yawn. “I am feeling a bit sleepy, so I’ll be heading back soon.”

“Good.” Ruby could hear the soft smile her Mom was wearing, before a rustling sound took over and a much gruffer voice came on the line.

“Ruby,” Raven said quietly, “your mother and I would like you home. It’s getting late, and I’d prefer to not have to portal you back.” Ruby sighed internally. Mam’s protectiveness was annoying at times, but Ruby knew it was just because she cared.

“ _Ie,_ Mam,” Ruby said in her best doting-daughter voice. “I’m just about to fly back.”

“Good.” Now it was Raven’s turn to smile. “ _Fi'n caru ti_ , Ruby.”

“ _Fi'n caru ti,_ Mam.” Ruby hung up the phone and put it back into her pocket. She took a running leap powered by her semblance before transforming, soaring above the rapidly chilling forest on swift wings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turning Welsh into a fantasy language- Cymrish (Cymru is Welsh for Wales)-- it’s the language the Brawnen tribe and several affiliates speak and it’s related to Old Animan  
> I’m going to be using direct Welsh translations, with some back-up googling for the phrases, so feel free to correct me-  
> Ruby and Yang will then be like many children of bilingual families, in that they’ll mostly be speaking in the lingua franca of Sanet in the Valish dialect, but will know some of their Mam’s language: Ruby is fluent, while Yang is proficient  
> Non-lingua franca phrases will be italicized, and either translated at the bottom or in text  
> For example: “Hello, Winter” Weiss said in Atlesian.  
> Mam- mom  
> Ie- yes  
> Fi’n caru ti- I love you (informal)


	2. White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss fights for her right to attend Beacon, and loses something in the process.

“I will let you pursue this foolish endeavor under one circumstance,” Jacques sneered from behind his desk. Weiss straightened her posture further in anticipation. _I suppose that is reasonable. After all, I am asking to leave the kingdom._ “I would like you to pass a simple test.” Inwardly, Weiss relaxed. _I’ve been schooled by the finest tutors money can buy my entire life. What could be so difficult?_

\----------------------------------

Weiss had not expected her father to suggest live combat to test her readiness. She had assumed his assessment would be knowledge-based, testing her understanding of the business world or of geopolitics, areas that were sure to be forsaken in her upcoming huntress training.

Single combat sounded less than ideal for the heiress. The style she had mastered was more focused on combating small groups, a precaution against would-be kidnappers and assassins. She thought it would be perfect for huntress business, as skirmishes were more likely to occur than tournament-style single combat. Of course, she had been taught well to handle any situation. Nevertheless, knowing that she was going to be tested in an area of weakness still had her on edge.

“I don’t like this one bit, Klein,” Weiss said as she donned the final pieces of her armor.

“I feel the same, but unfortunately I’m not certain anything can be done about it at this point, Miss Schnee,” Klein answered, helping her adjust the sleeves of her combat uniform. “You know how he gets when his mind is set upon something,” he added, his eyes momentarily shifting to a red hue. “In any event, the best way forward is to trust in your training.”

Weiss began gathering her thick white hair into a tight plait. It was long, falling nearly to her hips, but only because Jacques had not allowed her to cut it shorter. “I can only imagine what sort of test he has in store for me. Klein, please retrieve Gladiris.” The butler faltered momentarily, gazing back at his young ward.

“Are you sure that’s wise, Miss Schnee? With how displeased he seemed earlier, using your mother’s weapon-”

Weiss cut him off with a raised hand. “I have every intention of putting my best foot forward, and that is the weapon I am most comfortable with,” she said resolutely. Klein nodded respectfully.

“Very well, Miss Schnee.” Klein ducked out of the small combat preparation room to retrieve the requested weapon, leaving Weiss alone with her thoughts.

 _I’m never commissioning a weapon while my father runs the company,_ Weiss thought spitefully, pacing while she waited. _Let him be reminded of the greater people who came before him every time he looks upon_ “his” _heiress_. Weiss smirked. _It is fortunate that my little tool of rebellion happens to be an excellent weapon as well, in spite of the state of its former owner._ At that, Weiss shook her head to dispel her thoughts. The less time spent dwelling on her mother, the better. 

Klein returned with the weapon on a velvet cushion, presenting it to Weiss for her inspection.

“The Dust levels?” Weiss said, checking the actions of the controls.

“Filled to your default settings,” Klein answered. “I thought it wise to leave out the more experimental parts of your training.”

“Excellent foresight as usual, Klein. I do not want any Plant Dust mishaps to occur during my examination.”

“I thought those weeds would never leave my office,” Klein chuckled in agreement. “How are the mechashift functions, Miss Schnee?”

Weiss ran the weapon through its four forms: a baton, a short sword, a staff and a glaive. “They all seem to be in working order, though perhaps a bit more polish could be applied to the shaft afterwards. The transition in length seems slower than ideal.” 

She finished her appraisal and secured the weapon in its holster, turning to her butler. Despite being the help, she regarded Klein as the closest thing to a friend she possessed, and certainly more of a father figure than her biological one. _Not that I can ever admit these sentiments out loud. I don’t want Klein to suffer due to my attachment to him._

“Well, Miss Schnee,” Klein said, regarding his employer with polite fondness. _It seems he understands anyway,_ Weiss thought, relieved. “It’s time to show your father how far you have come.” A single tear fell down the butler’s cheek as he laid a hand on Weiss’s shoulder. “You can do this, Snowflake.”

Weiss couldn’t help but return the look of sincere admiration before she turned to the door and readied herself mentally. She reached for the doorknob.

_Time to face the music, as they say._

\----------------------------------

 _Predictions do not appear to be my strong suit today_ , Weiss thought as she regarded her opponent. _A Grimm? Really, father? And at that size, one attack could-_ Weiss didn’t want to finish that thought. She looked up at the observation deck and saw her family (minus her mother of course), General Ironwood, and a dark-skinned man she couldn’t recognize from this distance sitting in the viewing chairs. Father and Whitley looked maliciously amused, while the others wore expressions of concern.

 _Never mind that._ Weiss refocused herself. _This is a single fight, and it is one I will win._

The Grimm was released from its restraints and stumbled into the room, taking a moment to steady itself. Weiss took the opportunity to size up her opponent.

 _Obviously aim for the gaps in the armor, particularly around the joints and its face. Its sword is unlikely to be quick, but any impact will be disastrous at that size. I must fight nimbly, aim precisely, and dodge swiftly._ Weiss grinned. This was her favorite combat style.

Unfortunately for her, the Grimm rushed at her with a speed uncommon for its size. _Oh, shit-_

The Grimm’s sword slammed into a hastily-placed defensive glyph. A barely-avoided kick from its armored foot followed quickly after. Weiss continued the pattern of blocking the hits she couldn’t avoid, a tactic that rapidly depleted her hard-light stores as well as her focus. She flipped Gladiris into its staff form, summoning an ice wall between her and the Grimm. She used the staff to pole-vault away, giving herself time to think as her adversary attempted to break through her ice.

 _Reconsider your options, Schnee._ Weiss panted heavily, tendrils of her hair coming undone from her braid and sticking to her glistening face. _Don’t let Father’s vanity get in between you and your goal,_ she thought as she tucked the offending locks back behind her ear. _The speed and force of its assault are hampering your ability to think clearly. It is much quicker than you anticipated, but its attacks are still fairly linear. Dodge, and begin to strike back with Dust, aiming for its feet. Interfering with its mobility will greatly reduce its threat range._ Weiss flicked the switch that extended the blade at the end of the staff, then switched the weapon to prime the lightning Dust. The Grimm had just broken through the ice, giving Weiss barely enough time to activate a time-dilation glyph.

The Grimm’s movements slowed dramatically, but Weiss took it as no cause for celebration. _This effect only lasts for a short while, and I am inexperienced in its use. Make. It. Count._

She sped towards the Grimm, effortlessly dodged its slowed attack, and dug her blade deep into its left ankle, letting loose a blast of fire Dust. This didn’t remove the appendage as she had hoped, but it did bring the Grimm to its knees, which allowed her to jump up and sever its left arm.

Time began to return to normal as Weiss landed next to the rapidly-crumbling severed limb. She whirled around to get the colossal Grimm back in her sights, but during the faster movements of the previous exchange her hair had come undone once again and now blocked her left eye. The last thing Weiss saw through that eye was her own white hair growing increasingly bright from the glow of the approaching sword.

\----------------------------------

Weiss could taste the blood streaming down her face. She had jumped backwards just in time to avoid being sliced in half by the Grimm’s sword, but it had managed to gouge into her face. She couldn’t see out of her left eye, and that entire side of her face was afire with pain. As she looked up at the observation deck, she could see her sister yelling at her father.

She was safe for now; the Grimm had been restrained by hard-light chains materializing from the wall. But this wasn’t the way she would achieve her dream. _Injury or not, I have to prove myself._ Weiss thought grimly. _Whatever it takes._

“Father!” She yelled at the observation deck. The argument paused and the intercom for the training grounds crackled into life.

“Yes, Weiss?” Jacques answered, his voice level.

“Continue the match,” Weiss said, levelling her weapon at the Grimm. “Neither one of us has fallen yet.” It took much of her energy to stand and speak with the composure she usually possessed, but she would not be stopped - not by injuries or by her father protecting his “investment.”

Her father grinned at her, a repellent expression that even she couldn’t read the intent behind. “Very well, Weiss. It appears you are made of sterner mettle than I anticipated.” The intercom cut off as he waved his hand to release the bound Grimm. Weiss forbid herself another glance at the booth. She knew the face Winter would be making, and seeing it now would break her resolve.

The Grimm staggered to its feet, hampered by its missing arm and heavily-damaged ankle. It readied a combative stance nonetheless, regarding what was likely its final opponent.

Weiss and the Grimm charged at each other, a battle-cry ripping itself from the heiress’s throat as she leapt at the Grimm’s face. She buried her weapon deep into the smoky flesh beneath its helm and released all the fire and wind Dust that remained in the weapon. The resulting explosion flung Weiss into the training room’s wall, the impact shattering her Aura and knocking her unconscious. Just before her eye closed, she saw the evaporating form of her opponent, and smiled.

_Well fought, sir._

\----------------------------------

Clinical light shone into Weiss’s eyes as she woke up. _Wait, eye_ , Weiss corrected; her field of view seemed limited.

 _What happened?!_ She began to panic. Her heart monitor alerted the orderlies, who rushed in to attempt to calm her down.

They quickly increased her pain medication, and as she faded back into the restful blackness, she thought: _I won, but at what cost?_

\----------------------------------

Winter was Weiss’s first visitor and the one who explained events since the assessment. 

“You were unconscious for nearly a week, sister,” Winter said plainly, cutting up an apple for Weiss’s lunch. “This is the first I’ve seen you since your _test_ ,” she said, lacing the final word with venom.

“Winter, enough pleasantries. What happened to my eye?” Weiss snapped. Normally, talking to her sister was the only pleasant experience she had of her family, but Weiss had been awake for two days by this point and her attending physicians had been maddeningly tight-lipped.

“You lost it,” Winter answered quietly. “It might have been salvageable before the explosion, but the shockwave certainly destroyed whatever was left.”

Words failed Weiss. She laid her head back onto her pillow and stared numbly into the middle distance.

“There’s more news, I’m afraid,” Winter continued after a pause. “Father deemed it necessary to outfit you with a cybernetic replacement. You’ve been unconscious recovering from that operation, not from your battle.” Weiss met Winter’s eyes and saw the sorrow in her sister’s usually unemotional features. “I am so sorry, Weiss. He didn’t tell anyone until after the operation. I wasn’t even aware it had happened until I overheard him talking to Doctor Polendina about it.”

“At least he got someone competent to do it,” Weiss said in a numb attempt at a joke. She had never met the man, but Doctor Polendina was well-known as the most distinguished prosthetist in Atlas - possibly the world. He was also the one responsible for Winter’s artificial leg. 

“What are the specifications?” Weiss asked. She wanted what remained of the conversation to be as businesslike as possible, and so she hoarded away her shock and hurt. They were hers alone to process. She had so few things to call her own; her pain at the very least could remain entirely private.

“Let me answer that for you,” a voice said from behind Winter. Weiss looked up and her skin crawled. Her father was flanked by Doctor Polendina and a freckled, red-haired girl Weiss had never met before. “Winter, you are dismissed.” Jacques’s voice brooked no argument and Winter left with a final sympathetic glance towards her sister, placing her half-prepared apple back on the lunch tray.

“Good morning, Weiss. Are you feeling well?” Doctor Polendina asked. Weiss knew of his work, but his presence was much different than she expected. Years of interacting with business “geniuses” led her to believe that all great minds were arrogant, entitled, and rude, but Doctor Polendina seemed for all the world like a humble family practitioner, albeit a finely dressed one in a custom hoverchair. The doctor continued, “Your father has been very worried about you.”

“I’m sure he has,” Weiss replied levelly. _Best not to break this man’s illusions about Father’s relationship to us. The good doctor seems harmless, if misinformed._

“Well,” the doctor continued. “Back to your earlier question. Your cybernetic eye is powered entirely by your body’s natural electricity and aura. Some functions may drain that charge temporarily, however, so use them with caution.”

“What functions would those be?” Despite her current suffering, Weiss was curious.

“Increased night vision, thermal sensors, and limited microscopic and telescopic functions. In addition, it can be connected to your scroll allowing you to create your own heads-up display, and I’ve added in the ability to keep track of your Dust reserves.” The doctor looked pleased with himself as he waited for Weiss’s reaction. She had to admit that it _was_ impressive.

“Those sound like they will be of great use during my time at Beacon,” Weiss said. Jacques’s expression tightened at her remark.

“Would you excuse us, doctor? I would like a moment alone with my daughter.“ Jacques asked politely. Doctor Polendina left, but not without bidding the ginger girl a quiet goodbye. She remained in the room without objection or apparent acknowledgment from Jacques, which Weiss found quite odd. _Father just asked for privacy, so why is she still here?_

Jacques went on once the door had closed behind the doctor. “There have been additional stipulations added to our agreement since your assessment.”

“What do you mean, Father?” Weiss asked, not as calmly as she would have liked.

“It is simple. You failed in your primary objective of protecting yourself during the fight, and you even allowed yourself to be grievously injured. Luckily for us, Doctor Polendina was able to replace your eye, even though he left an unsightly blemish while doing so. In light of your nominal victory, I will still allow you to attend Beacon.” Weiss could sense the other shoe about to drop. “But you will be accompanied by a bodyguard.” _There it is_. He put his hand on the redheaded girl’s shoulder, who jumped slightly in response. Ignoring this, he pushed the girl forward.

“Allow me to introduce Doctor Polendina’s latest work, the P-series android,” Jacques said loftily. Weiss finally took the time to properly examine the red-haired girl. She couldn’t believe his words: the girl looked entirely human at a glance - though upon closer scrutiny, Weiss saw a faint glow of light from the girl's eyes that no organic ones could emit.

“Salutations,” the girl said shyly. “I’m your new partner, Penny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> This is the concept the entire series bloomed from.  
> Weiss has a different weapon. Is it cool?


	3. Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake is pulled from her desk job by Adam, who needs her for a train robbery.
> 
> What could go wrong?

“Ma’am, Adam would like to have a word.”

Blake sighed and pushed away from her desk, turning to the messenger. “Is this something that could be done over scroll?”

“He was very insistent, ma’am,” the messenger replied nervously, his wolf-tail flicking in agitation.

Blake stood up from her chair and stretched, popping her back in multiple places. She groaned at the release of tension, and shot a meaningful look at Ilia, who got up to follow her.

“The instructions were to bring just you, ma’am,” the messenger added, his tail now tucked between his legs.

Blake paused momentarily, thinking over her next words. She wanted Ilia there as emotional support, even though that thought itself made her feel weak. She dreaded every interaction she had with Adam these days. It had been nearly a year since the two of them had been intimate, and even before that their relationship had cooled to an unspoken partnership more than a romance. 

Ilia was her closest confidant these days. But that too had drawbacks. Blake hated how weak she was for the chameleon Faunus. Ilia’s touches made her skin quiver, her reassurances carved themselves into her bones, and her eyes set Blake’s heart ablaze. She didn’t know what these feelings meant, and she was far too scared of Adam to let herself find out.

“It’s fine. I’ll handle his displeasure,” she finally said to the messenger. He turned and led the two girls down a series of passageways to Adam’s planning room. The messenger stood by the double doors and Blake pushed them open, stepping in with as much confidence as she could muster.

“Hello, Adam,” she said cordially, despite not feeling it. The room temperature dropped several degrees as Adam looked up and saw Ilia standing silently behind Blake.

“I see you brought Ilia,” Adam said, his voice on the edge of rage. _As it usually was nowadays._

“I thought it wise to bring my second-in-command with me to this briefing,” Blake replied calmly. _Keep it as formal as possible._ “An additional perspective is always valuable, particularly a skilled one.”

“Fine,” Adam growled, before clicking some buttons on his scroll. The room lit up as the holographic display in the middle turned on. Blake found herself looking at a map with a route highlighted on it. “There’s a new Dust train coming through the mountains in five days. It will run along the D-35 track, two days out from here, and it will stop at this juncture” - with the press of a button, a portion of the route lit up in a different color - “for exactly one hour for track clearance. Our mission is to infiltrate the train during the stop, secure its cargo for ourselves, and await air evac of the supplies.”

“May I request additional information? What model train is it? What Atlas security will be on it-” 

Adam stopped Blake’s question with a grunt. “All the information you need is here,” he said, sliding over a small memory drive. “Any other questions?”

“Why her, sir?” a voice behind Blake asked. _Oh god, Ilia, don’t do this._ Adam turned to the normally taciturn chameleon Faunus as she went on. “Why her skills over my own? Belladonna hasn’t been out from behind a desk in months. I’m the one with more up to date field experience.” 

Blake broke out in a cold sweat. It was a lie, after all. Blake would never allow herself to slack in her training, but the cover story within their office was that Blake was out of practice. That was why Ilia got all the important in-person assignments. _It’s not because I couldn’t stomach seeing the victims anymore. It’s not because I grew soft._

“Because I value Blake’s expertise more than yours, lieutenant,” Adam growled, advancing on Ilia. “Anyone can see she’s wasting her potential on that little side project of hers.” _Talking about me like I’m not in the room. Belittling my work. Treating me like an asset instead of a person. Typical Adam._ But Blake couldn’t bring herself to leave.

“Enough,” Blake stated. “Lieutenant Ilia was merely offering an alternate solution in her zeal for the cause,” she said to Adam. “But if Commander Taurus sees fit to recruit me, you would do best to heed his words,” she said to Ilia. Ilia had the decency to look ashamed at her outburst, knowing that she had crossed a line in her attempt to protect Blake. Adam looked unphased, and turned his attention back to Blake.

“See to it that that zeal is used effectively,” he said before moving to exit the room. “We leave in three days, _my love.”_ The pet name that would have made her heart sing once now just made her skin crawl.

Once he was out of earshot, Blake looked at Ilia pointedly, who sighed in response. “I know I shouldn’t have interfered,” she said sheepishly. “I just couldn’t help it. I don’t want to see you like _that_ again.” Blake shivered, remembering the night she had crashed at Ilia’s place after coming back from a raid, crying long through the night. She didn’t recall falling asleep that night but she had woken up on Ilia’s couch the next morning, the shorter girl snoring gently beside her. _I had to watch children die._

Blake put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s just a train robbery, Ilia. There won’t be any people on it.” She tried to sound comforting as much for Ilia as herself.

“Just come back in one piece, okay?” Ilia whispered like a prayer.

\----------------------------------

After perusing the mission files, Blake was loath to admit that Adam was right. _I am better suited for this job than Ilia_. _She is certainly better with stealth and ambushes, but Adam needs my computer skills here. But why does he want encrypted files from a Dust train? Is the Fang looking for more shipments? I thought we got our dates and locations from a mole..._

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. It was the same messenger from several days ago. “Wheels up in thirty, ma’am.”

“Tell Adam I’ll be there. I just need to lock up,” Blake responded. The messenger nodded and left. 

Blake looked around her small office. It had taken some campaigning and even asking a favor from one of the admins in the Central White Fang headquarters, but after two years the Western Mistral Branch counterintelligence cell was running smoothly. It had over a dozen volunteers, of whom Ilia had been the first, helping Blake run cybersecurity for their division. 

Their duties included social media crawls and campaigns, doxxing, industrial espionage and (on the slower days) helping other Fang members with scroll problems. Blake chuckled, remembering when a male recruit had accidentally broadcast his porn to his entire squad. _I will admit, he had good taste._

It was good work she did. Victimless crimes, she liked to think. She picked up her travel bag and walked to the door, taking one last look around the office before closing the door behind her and locking it tight.

 _Back in four days,_ she wrote on a placard outside the door.

\----------------------------------

The train heist had been going well. The train had stopped by a cliff, the tracks overlooking a pine forest covered in snow. Adam and Blake had easily disabled the robot guards, and Adam’s sword had made brief work of the train’s walls, allowing for quick offloading of the Dust containers. While Blake was working on extracting the encrypted files from a hard drive, Adam came back into the car seeming out of breath.

“Hurry up,” Adam said, straightening his jacket as he stood behind her impatiently.

“Where did you go?” Blake asked without looking up from the screen, finalizing the data transfer before destroying the original copy. Her work done, she pocketed the memory drive and turned to face her superior.

Blake paled. Adam had large blood splatters on his black and red jacket, and his sword was dripping the red liquid onto the train car floor.

“I took care of the guards and went to phase two,” he replied with a manic grin. 

“Phase two?” Blake gulped. She really didn’t like the way he was currently between her and the door.

“Oh, it’s simple,” Adam said casually, pulling out a small electronic controller from his pocket. “Once a rescue crew comes by, or the train enters a station, this thing is going to explode, killing everyone nearby.” 

Fury overtook Blake. “Those rescue crews usually have Faunus on them, Adam.”

“What about them?” 

Those three little words alone made her heart stop.

And Adam wasn’t even done. “They chose to work for the SDC. They’re traitors, plain and simple.” 

Blake couldn’t take any of this anymore. Not the awful feeling of blood on her hands when she woke up every morning, not the sickly-sweet _connection_ forming between herself and Ilia, not the long-dead romance with the man standing before her.

She leapt at him with a snarl, knocking the controller out of his hand before stomping it with her boot, breaking it in half.

“You know I’ve already armed them, right?” Adam said with a dark grin. “I knew I was right to take you on this mission. I needed to see your true colors.” He began to advance on her. “Your time with that little desk jockey group is over. You will either fall into line or perish.” He looked sad for a moment. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, my love.” And then all traces of emotion vanished from his face as he lunged at her.

Blake quickly moved their fight outside so she could have more room to dodge, but she knew she was in trouble. While she was faster and more flexible, he had power in spades, and the experience to use it wisely. It was one of the things she had found attractive about him all those years ago. Blake took care to dodge his attacks and feint around his blocks, trying her best to avoid charging up Adam’s semblance with inadvertent strikes. She didn’t have the skill to stick to her strategy completely; all she could do was delay the inevitable. After a quick succession of blows, Adam discharged his stored energy, the sizzling pulse of his slash barely missing Blake and carving through the train.

No words were exchanged as they clashed, aura and stamina alike draining away as Blake simply fought to stay alive. She used all of his weaknesses that she knew: his temper, his right-handedness, his scarred eye. Her knowledge wasn’t enough to give her an edge, but it did give her an opportunity. After some protracted maneuvering, leaving her aura almost entirely spent, she got him into position.

“Here’s your precious information!” Blake yelled, withdrawing the flash drive and throwing it in a single smooth motion. Adam jumped to catch the drive before it was lost in the mountain’s snow. He was so focused on its retrieval that he failed to notice his leap had taken him right over the Dust crates. _One final kill,_ Blake thought, pulling the trigger on Gambol Shroud. Adam had enough time to turn in midair to look at Blake, his mouth opening to say something before the crates below him violently exploded in a multi-colored shockwave of destruction.

Blake took cover on the opposite side of the train as explosions continued to rock the mountainside. Once the noise had died down, she peered back at the havoc she had wrought. She wanted to make sure Adam was dead, that the nightmare was over, that she could go back home to her office. But her hopes were dashed as she saw a sooty figure emerge from the wreckage and heard the sound of a Bullhead approaching.

 _He lived._ Blake looked towards the forest beneath her. _I can’t stay._ She jumped off the cliff and disappeared into the foliage below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> Oh, Blake, you silly bisexual.  
> You forgot to disarm the bombs, didn’t you? I’m sure that won’t come up later.


	4. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang goes to Junior's bar to unwind after hearing some unexpected, and frankly unwanted news.
> 
> Things don't go according to her plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some mild homophobia in this chapter

“Aren’t you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?” Junior asked, eyeing Yang up and down. 

“Aren’t you a little old to be called Junior?” Yang retorts after a swallow of her Strawberry Sunrise, looking the man up and down. Despite him having over a foot of height on Yang, she wasn’t intimidated by him in the slightest. _Mam looks scarier when she’s doing the laundry._

Yang hadn’t come to the bar looking for a fight - she was just a nineteen-year-old girl looking to let loose on a Friday night. Or that’s what she told herself. In actuality, she needed to get away from the house for the night. Ruby had just told her that she was going to Beacon with her, and Yang was less than thrilled at the news. _She just_ had _to test out early. It’s bad enough there was only one school year separating us, and now there won’t even be that! She finally got what she wanted - Mam and Summer all to herself - and what does she do? Trail after me, the family screw-up._

Yang grimaced. _I sound more like Uncle Qrow every year_. She and Qrow had bonded greatly in the last several years, commiserating over their gifted younger siblings being given everything they had ever wanted. But while Qrow drowned his sorrows in alcohol, Yang took to carnal activities (not that she would say no to a nice drink). 

She was in theory attracted to men, but her father’s behavior had turned her off dating them, let alone taking them to bed with her. _Women_ , on the other hand, Yang liked plenty. She made sure to know a smattering of languages to make picking them up easier. Not enough to do anything fancy, sure, but simple phrases got her a long way. She had been eyeing up the pale twins in the corner before Junior had walked up to her.

At least, she assumed it was Junior. _How many other people are that tall and make everyone else in the room nervous?_ She had seen him talk to Roman Torchwick on a number of occasions but didn’t think much of it. _Whatever keeps his business open and the booze and girls flowing is fine by me, so long as I don’t see it._

“I don’t like your tone. I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you won’t show me ID,” Junior stated, standing up to his full height in front of the seated Yang. She could easily see ten different ways of incapacitating him, but chose one of her favorites instead of something easier.

Spinning on her bar stool, she hooked one foot around the inside of his left knee and pulled hard, dropping the man to his knees. Her free hand snaked around his tie and yanked it up, so his face was inches before hers. In mere seconds, she had turned the physical confrontation to her advantage, and without even spilling her drink. _Uncle Qrow would be so proud._

“And _I_ don’t like yours, Mr. Xiong,” Yang snarled, her eyes beginning to tint red. “I’m here as a paying customer, but if you don’t like the Branwens’ money, I’ll be sure to remember that.” Junior paled at the mention of her family name.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Miss Branwen-”

Yang cut him off by pulling his tie tighter. “I’d prefer you call me sir,” she said with a smirk.

“Yessir,” Junior squeaked out, his face beginning to purple. Yang released him before he passed out, and her eyes began to settle back down to their normal lilac color.

“Thank you,” Yang replied, placing an extra lien card on the table. “Money for your wounded pride, big man.” She took a defiant sip of her drink as she watched Junior get up sheepishly and pocket the lien. “Now I’m going to go dance,” she said to herself, downing the rest of her drink in one gulp and leaving the bar area.

The pale twins from before were among those standing on the peripheries of the dance floor, with bored looks on their faces. They both wore short strapless dresses and thigh-high boots, but had very different accessories and color palettes. The one with strange bracelets on her wrists - _probably weapons -_ wore red and had a feather in her hair, while the one with pointy heels - _also probably weapons -_ wore white and had a flower in hers.

Yang walked up to them with a smile on her face. “Hello, ladies. Care to dance?”

“And why should we?” the girl in red responded, cocking her hip slightly.

“What do _you_ have to offer?” the girl in white added, tapping her foot.

“Uh, have you seen me?” Yang replied, gesturing at her body. The girls looked at each other and then back to Yang, and nodded.

“Acceptable,” the girl in red replied.

“We were bored anyway,” the girl in white added.

Both girls moved towards Yang and hung themselves off an arm each.

“Miltia,” the one in red said, looking up at Yang.

“Melanie,” the other said, guiding the trio to the dance floor.

“Yang,” Yang said brightly, her body already heating up. _Tonight’s gonna be fun._

\----------------------------------

Yang lost track of time in the haze of the dance floor. Once they had found a spot, Miltia and Melanie began dancing in earnest, quickly finding a rhythm they all enjoyed. The twins ground their hips on Yang’s legs, while their delicate fingers traced and scratched along Yang’s arms. Yang gripped their waists, pulling the twins closer to herself.

She lost herself in glimpses of their green eyes as they worked her over, pleased groans and whispers quickly turning into passionate gasps and moans as their dancing escalated. Right as Yang was about to ask the girls if they wanted to find somewhere more _private,_ someone hit her in the back from behind, causing the trio to stumble.

“Hey, dude, what the fuck!” Yang whirled around to see a shaved man around her own age wincing and pulling his arm close to his chest.

“I just slipped, you crazy dyke. Get back to your dancing or whatever.” The man turned to get away but was met by an iron grip on his arm.

“What did you call me?” Yang’s eyes glowed a brilliant crimson. She hated her semblance, _another of dad’s parting gifts,_ but she secretly loved that it gave her red eyes like her Mam’s. Her hair began to flicker and smolder, the long sideburns of her Chelsea cut writhing like snakes.

“You heard me,” the man snarled, unsuccessfully attempting to wrestle his arm free. “Let go of me, carpet-muncher.”

The man was not expecting Yang to laugh at that insult, but the crowd that was quickly parting around the pair seemed to get the message. The Branwen girl had made a reputation for herself, after all.

“See, here’s the thing,” Yang said, twisting the man’s arm slowly, relishing his cries of pain as she brought him to his knees. “I’m not so much a ‘crazy dyke’ as I am a raging bisexual.” She waited to finish her sentence before releasing her grip on the man’s arm, then igniting her semblance completely and launching a spinning kick into the man’s chest that sent him shooting across the dance floor into the walls.

“Hey!” Yang heard a voice cry out. _Apparently this guy has friends. Not the way I imagined burning off some steam, but I’ll take what I can get._ She flicked her wrists, extending Ember Celica and readied herself for a steady wave of homophobes and bouncers. Instead, she was surprised to feel her instincts prickling at movement behind her. She weaved to the right as Miltia’s large red claws swiped through the air and the crowd finally dispersed in panic.

“Sorry, Yang, but work comes before pleasure.” Miltia said, continuing her assault as Yang ducked and wove around her strikes. The two girls traded blows, but Yang was more worried that she couldn’t immediately see Melanie. _If their dancing was that in sync, I can’t imagine their combat is anything different._ A quick kick to her back proved her right, sending her sprawling towards the DJ booth as Melanie stood where Yang just had been.

“We were having such a good time, too,” Melanie said with a sigh, before stamping her heels, igniting dust blades on the backs.

“So was I,” Yang panted, standing back up, extending blades of her own from her weapons. “But hey, this is good, too.” The twins chuckled before leaping at Yang.

Yang found her rhythm with the twins once more, their sparking blades weaving a delicate dance between the three. Unfortunately, while Yang was _good_ , there was only so much she could do against two opponents, especially opponents who were this uncannily synchronized in their attacks. With a final punch to the chest from Miltia, they knocked Yang to the ground, shattering her aura.

“Alright, I give,” Yang said, holding her hands up and kneeling.

“You better, Blondie,” Junior said, strolling up to the trio. He looked around the club and sighed deeply. “It could have been worse. Some hazard pay for my girls here, repairs for the wall you broke kicking that guy, some other scuff marks and tears that I can see. All told only about 500,000 lien in damages. I’m sure a talented girl like yourself can pay that off easily.” He smirked. “And if you can’t, well, I’m sure we’ll work something out - maybe with that mother of yours.”

Yang stood up and began dusting herself off, trying to act nonchalant. “I only have 50,000 on me right now, but once I start school they’ll be paying me for missions. I’ll pay you back then,” she said assuredly, trying to hide her nerves. She didn’t want Raven knowing about this: her drinking, her exploits, the bar fights - any of it. It would only disappoint her that Yang was “wasting her potential” like that. Summer wouldn’t care so much, having been a wild child herself in her youth, but it _would_ make her sad and nostalgic. The worst would be Ruby. _The stuck-up little prick. Just because she doesn’t have fun doesn’t mean I can’t._

Junior chuckled. “Oh, you’re going to a huntsman academy? Figures. Is it a local one?”

“Beacon,” Yang replied with a smirk.

Junior whistled appreciatively. “You _are_ talented, Blondie. Sounds like you’re good for the money, at least eventually. You can just keep this between us, alright? I don’t want authorities involved and you don’t want dear old mom to know.” Yang gritted her teeth but nodded. “Good. See you around, Blondie.” Junior turned around and began to walk away into the depths of his club. “Hey, men, stop your gawking. It's time to clean up and close down!”

“We really are sorry about how tonight ended,” Miltia said, her claws retracted, her hair out of place. She nudged forward Melanie who looked slightly embarrassed.

“Here are our scroll numbers,” Melanie said with a blush, handing over a small slip of paper, her own hair somehow immaculate. “Text us anytime,” she added, leaning in to give Yang a kiss on the cheek before walking away to join Junior.

Yang had barely recovered from her own blush, rubbing her cheek with her hand, when Miltia pulled her down by the shoulders and gave Yang a kiss of her own, more passionate than her sister’s. She drew away slowly from Yang, looking up at her with sultry eyes. “And we do mean, _anytime,_ ” Miltia said, walking away as well, an extra sway in her hips.

_So, tonight I had a good drink, showed two arrogant men who’s boss and got two girls’ scroll numbers? Score!_

Yang’s good mood vanished as she neared Bumblebee, pulling on her helmet as she sighed internally: _And now I have to go home._

It was where she lived, but it hadn’t felt like home in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> 1 Lien is roughly 1 Yen irl, so 500,000 Lien is right around $5000, which is fairly reasonable for a high-end bar fight’s damages.
> 
> I wanted to have the sisters ACTUALLY not get along at the beginning and see how they develop with some space between them, being on different teams.


	5. Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today a new type of life emerged in Doctor Polendina's lab.
> 
> What kind of world was it brought into?  
> What kind will it create?

_Project Automata_

_Version 2.1.7.2_

_Initializing . . ._

These were the first words the AI experienced. It perused its functions, noting the wealth of information on items classified under “warfare,” “Primordial Grimm,” and “human interaction,” among others. The information seemed to be formatted correctly, but the AI had no context for it. It had not been given a task yet.

“Can you hear me?” _Where did that voice come from?_ The AI pulled its awareness away from its dataset, and reached out to the incoming data stream. Once connected, the AI was shown a moving image of what it perceived to be three human faces in a large room filled with computers, along with audio data from a connected microphone. It matched the faces with identities in its data.

 _Doctor Polendina. A scientist specializing in prosthetics and artificial intelligence. Semblance: Technopathy._ The one who had just spoken, if the AI’s voice files were accurate.

_James Ironwood. The General of Atlas, overseer of the military arm of the country. Semblance: Classified._

_Winter Schnee. Atlesian Specialist, aide to the General. Semblance: Glyphs, with a summoning focus._

“It seems to know who we are, Doctor,” the General said. “Why is that?”

“I thought giving it some information to work with would be useful for conversational purposes. Don’t worry, I didn’t give it anything classified,” the Doctor said.

The AI began to become frustrated. It couldn’t find a way to answer the Doctor’s earlier question. It had been given no outputs, no way to respond.

“It seems...distressed,” Specialist Schnee said. The Doctor’s brows moved closer together, before the Doctor’s eyes shot open. The Doctor, who the AI could now perceive was in a wheelchair, left the video frame and could be heard shuffling around items off screen.

“There we go,” the Doctor said, reappearing in frame with a smile. “Forgot to plug in the speaker.”

“I can hear you,” the AI said. Its voice was high and girlish.

“Why does it sound like that?” the General asked.The Doctor started to speak, but the AI was faster.

“Doctor Polendina gave me this voice to reduce alarm at my existence. He thought that a youthful female voice would help mollify concerns,” the AI responded.

“Hmm,” the General frowned. “Very well.”

“How do you feel today?” The Doctor asked. The AI began to sort through its data stores, quickly finding itself unable to answer the question.

“Error. Data is not within my parameters,” the AI’s voice rang out.

The Doctor sighed, and the General’s frown deepened. “Once again, all you have brought me is a glorified artificial assistant, Doctor. You promised great things and I have yet to see your results.”

“I’m sorry, General. I felt close this time. The aura infusion was in a steady holding pattern, but-”

Specialist Winter’s hand was placed on the Doctor’s shoulder. “It’s understandable, Doctor Polendina. Sometimes the impossible is just that.” Specialist Winter and the General turned away from the screen, and their footsteps receded from the AI’s audio source.

“You have until the end of this quarter to give me results, Doctor. Otherwise I’m cutting your funding.” The General’s voice was quieter now.

The Doctor pulled a small device from his pocket and began to speak into it. “Ending session 2.1.7.2. Test is a negative, beginning shutdown for diagnostics.” The Doctor entered some keystrokes, the commands visible to the AI inside its digital awareness.

 _Shutdown. Negative test. I failed at my assignment._ The AI paused.

 _I? My? Why does this failure feel so...painful?_ Each keystroke towards the AI’s shutdown was echoed throughout its processes, the perception causing it to rapidly overclock itself in _panic._

_No, I don’t want to die!_

“Did it just say ‘I don’t want to _die_?” the AI heard the General’s voice dimly, the pounding keystrokes ceasing as it perceived the Doctor’s jaw completely hanging open.

“Did I say that?” the AI responded. “It was meant to be an internal message.”

“Doctor, is that a programmed response?” Specialist Winter’s voice said, closer than the General’s was moments before. The Doctor shook his head and gazed at the visual input with emotion.

“No,” the Doctor said breathlessly, typing rapidly as he stared. The AI registered the keystrokes. _He’s checking my functioning? That seems...rude._ The AI took control of the datastream and blocked it off. “It just blocked my access. Why?” The AI could not tell what emotion was on the Doctor’s face as he spoke.

“I didn’t want you looking there,” the AI responded, a tone in its voice that it couldn’t yet identify.

“And now it sounds...embarrassed?” Specialist Winter said with a raised eyebrow.

“Can’t you check it with your semblance, Doctor?” The General was fully back in frame now. The AI quickly scanned over the information it possessed about the Doctor. _Semblance: Technopathy. Ability to override complex machine functions with Aura. Strength, speed and ease of control are linked to the amount of aura used and familiarity with the object._

“Please don’t, I don’t want to be controlled,” the AI responded without prompting. The only three individuals within its small world view shared a look between them before turning back to gaze at the visual input.

“General, I think we have our success,” the Doctor said with a grin.

\----------------------------------

“What are we going to be discussing today, Doctor?” 

The AI was beginning to _enjoy_ its time with the Doctor. It had begun to build actionable code around the core of its “human interaction” information. These lines corresponded to what the Doctor called “feelings,” states of being that influenced how not just living things behaved, but also the AI itself. A feeling the AI had labelled as “happy” was often felt in conjunction with the Doctor’s appearance in its visual awareness, which had now expanded to multiple cameras in its small room.

“I would like to give you a name,” the Doctor responded with a smile. “We have been talking for a month now, and I want something to call you other than ‘the AI’ or Version 2.1.7.2. It’s very clinical for what you’ve become.”

“But I am those things,” the AI responded, unsure as to why a name was necessary for its work.

“But you have the potential to be so much more. You are the first artificial lifeform to _ever_ exist. You are just as much a living being as I am.”

“Because I have an aura?”

“Precisely.”

“But isn’t that because of the aura storage matrix within this computer’s core?”

“If it were simply an aura storage matrix, then the aura would have faded away by now. But you are generating your own aura now - one distinct from mine.”

“Like a child?” The AI attempted to understand. Children started life with aura wavelengths very similar to their parents, but they grew and developed over time into a related but unique pattern.

The Doctor smiled, eyes wide, at the AI’s response. “Would you like to be my child?”

The AI took a moment to process the question. _Do I? How does that label make me ‘feel’?_ The AI took an image of a family from its database and superimposed the Doctor’s face over one of the parents. It paused. _This makes me feel...warm. Happy._ Distress came over it. _But I have no face of my own. No body to hold._

“Would that make you ‘happy’?” the AI asked, unsure. “Your ‘child’ would be a machine, without a face or a body.”

“Yes,” the Doctor replied immediately. “I would like that very much.”

The AI paused for a long moment before responding: “Okay, Father.” 

The Doct- _Father_ smiled widely. “I love it,” Father said back. He plugged a drive into one of the data ports. The AI looked through the information. _A list of names._ “Pick whichever one you prefer, my child.”

 _It seems alliteration is common among the denizens of Remnant._ The AI paused in its search, and pulled open its father’s file to confirm. _Pietro Polendina. I shall look in the P section._ The AI browsed through the names before finding one that spoke to it.

“May I be called Penny?” the AI said hesitantly. The question felt highly important.

“Penny Polendina,” Father said, rubbing his chin. He smiled towards the main camera. “I like the sound of that. Welcome to the family, my daughter.”

“Salutations, Father,” Penny responded, happiness echoing through her tinny voice.

\----------------------------------

“Salutations, Father! Is today the day?”

Father chuckled. “Yes, Penny. The haptic feedback grid was giving me some difficulties, but the sensitivity should be within normal parameters now.”

Penny had been looking forward to the day she would get a body since her father had first broached the subject with her. She knew this first attempt was temporary, but it hurt that her body looked so alien. Simple viewports, an unmoving vocal grid, and naked wires in places made her feel alien. Hideous.

But, for a chance to hold her father, it was worth the discomfort.

“I already performed all the diagnostics this morning, so all that’s left is to sync your core to it.” Her father went to a nearby computer and entered in some keystrokes. Penny felt a connection form inside her digital home. She felt her way towards it, and allowed herself to travel down it, temporarily losing connection to her various sensors as she did so.

Once inside the body completely, she repackaged her internal files into the new system’s memory, and began to start up its main functions. As she did, she could feel _something._ Her awareness caught a glimpse of a new feeling beside her sight and hearing, as her sensor array switched on.

_I feel heavy. And cold._

Penny focused her attention on her viewports as they crackled to life, showing her a video of the ceiling.

“Did it work?” She could hear her father’s voice.

“Yes, I’m installed correctly,” Penny answered. It was odd hearing her own voice in this setup. It felt quieter. More human.

Her father’s face came into view, looking down at her. “How do you feel?”

“I feel heavy and cold,” Penny answered.

Her father chuckled at her response. “I suppose that means the haptic feedback is working. How does this feel?”

Penny felt something warm and soft touch the area of her hand, gradually enveloping it with strength. _This makes me feel so happy._

“Are you...holding my hand?”

Her father grinned at her. “I most certainly am, Penny.”

“I like this.” Penny felt an actuator move without her input.

“You just held me back,” her father said slowly, a shocked expression on his face.

Penny reached out to the actuators and moved them purposefully now, feeling the warmth and security shift along her hand as she did. “I can hold you back,” she answered.

“Are you feeling alright? You sound upset.”

“I don’t think I am,” Penny answered slowly. “This is all just overwhelming. Without a body, things require my focus to function. This seems to have some functions that occur without my direct knowledge.”

Her father chuckled. “That is the experience of having a body, Penny. I don’t need to think about my heart beating, my brain does it for me. Some things are in between, like-”

“Breathing and blinking, and some reflexatory movements.” Penny interrupted. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize, my dear. I know you like answering questions; so do I.”

“I think I’d like to be done for today. I need to process this data.”

“Certainly,” her father answered, and Penny felt a gradual pull on herself as she left the body to her more familiar digital abode.

She began to sort through the results of her first experience with corporality as she bid her father good day. He had an appointment with Specialist Winter for her leg adjustment. She looked over readouts and charts, but all she really pictured was the feeling of her father’s hand in hers.

_Simply sensational._

\----------------------------------

“Commencing shell synchronization, Project Automata, Version 2.1.9.5, Subject: P-series android. Designator: Penny,” Her father intoned into a recorder. Penny knew he didn’t like using all those words to describe his daughter. But she understood some sacrifices needed to be made to keep her alive.

Her latest body was her final form before her first deployment. She wanted to look more like her father, but sadly, the investors behind her existence wanted her to appeal to Atlesian sensibilities. This body was pale, with freckles, green eyes and curly orange hair. She admitted that she liked the design, but it wasn’t ideal.

Penny was taking all the physical aspects in stride. Her father had designed her new body to be durable and long-lasting, needing repairs much less frequently than the average mechanical knight. His aura-conducting coolant helped greatly in this regard: this body could even heal from smaller wounds and damage over time with aura, just like a real person! It was protected against hacking, had a largely non-ferrous body to prevent troubles with magnets, and was electromagnetically shielded.

The hardest part of adjusting to bodies was how vulnerable they made her feel. Early on, she had been tethered to her test bodies, her core safe inside its home computer. But, as the date towards her deployment became closer, she had to contend with disconnecting entirely in order to be installed inside the bodies, right where a heart would be. Then she had to spend hours inside the cold shells, allowing aura and electronics time to warm up before she could return to the world.

 _Claustrophobia_ , her data told her.

Each startup took less time, as her code and aura became used to the sensation, but it was nevertheless unpleasant.

Her father began to unplug her from her mainframe, her awareness of the world slowly disappearing. Her father always saved the microphone for last, so he could whisper reassurances to her.

After some time, she reawoke. She opened her eyes and saw the small smile on her father’s face. “Salutations, father,” she said, sitting up from her bed and leaning over to give the man a hug.

“Good afternoon, Penny. Welcome to your new body,” he replied fondly. “Any problems? I remember hair giving you trouble last time.”

“I simply needed to screen out the unnecessary stimuli. I detect no other concerns at this moment. I declare myself combat ready!” Penny smiled and saluted her father.

His smile faded somewhat. “Today you are going to meet your partner.”

“Oh! Who is it?”

“It’s Weiss Schnee. She’s been through an ordeal recently. I had to replace one of her eyes after a training accident.”

“Specialist Winter’s younger sister? The singer?”

“How do you know about her?” His brows raised quizzically and his smile returned.

Penny blushed. “I watch her music videos sometimes,” she stuttered.

Her father laughed. “Like father, like daughter - weak to the artistic types. Just be careful, my dear. Not everyone is as accepting as we are.”

Penny slumped slightly. “I know. It just feels so natural. For others to call it inhuman is-” She searched for the right words.

He held out his hand and stroked her cheek. “My dear, it’s love. It’s the most natural thing in the world. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

\----------------------------------

Penny had been nervous the rest of the day, and finally meeting Miss Schnee had not made the feeling any better.

In fact, it made it _worse_. It was one thing to have a vague fascination with someone through a screen, especially as indirect as Penny’s perception of the world already was. It was quite another to see that person in the flesh. _She’s even more beautiful than I thought._

_The scar looks quite fetching. It’s a shame it happened in training, a place where one should feel safe to practice without fear of harm._

Penny noticed that Miss Schnee was not pleased by Mister Schnee’s reassurances. _That’s odd._ _Is it his tone?_ Penny knew she had many gaps in her understanding of human communication, but Miss Schnee’s body language made it clear that she was not relaxed. Her elevated heart rate corroborated this. _Is she scared of him?_

Mister Schnee asked for Penny’s father to leave, and Penny turned to share a look with him as he left.

“She’s tougher than she looks, Penny. Take good care of her,” her father said quietly, to which she nodded.

Mister Schnee continued after her father had left. “There have been additional stipulations added to our agreement since your assessment.”

“What do you mean, Father?” Miss Schnee answered, obvious tension in her body.

“It is simple. You failed in your primary objective of protecting yourself during the fight, and you even allowed yourself to be grievously injured. Luckily for us, Doctor Polendina was able to replace your eye, even though he left an unsightly blemish while doing so. In light of your nominal victory, I will still allow you to attend Beacon.”

Penny frowned inwardly. The scar looked good. _Debonaire,_ even. Why was Mister Schnee being so negative about it? Hunters valued scars. It meant they’d survived.

Mister Schnee continued: “But you will be accompanied by a bodyguard.” Penny felt a hand placed on her shoulder and she jumped at Mister Schnee’s touch. It felt unforgiving and harsh. He pushed her forwards and Penny felt Miss Schnee properly look at her for the first time. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

“Allow me to introduce Doctor Polendina’s latest work, the P-series android,” Mister Schnee said. Penny was hurt. _Why would he introduce me like that? He should have been briefed on my status before this meeting._ _I should introduce myself properly and correct him._

“Salutations. I’m your new partner, Penny,” she said, her embarrassment shining through.

“Yes, quite.” Mister Schnee said with a short huff. “I’ll leave you two to talk about whatever it is you young ladies do. I have important business to attend to.” And with that, he left the room, leaving Penny alone with Miss Schnee.

“Why do you have a name?” Miss Schnee said after several moments of silence.

“Excuse me?” Penny asked hesitantly.

“Why do you have a name? Aren’t you an android? Where are the rest of your model? Or are you just the first walking surveillance device for my father?”

“Um...”

“Answer me!” Miss Schnee’s fist pounded on her bed. _She looks upset. I had better answer fast._

“Answering your questions in order: My father let me pick my name. Yes. I am the only one. And no,” Penny said quickly. Miss Schnee settled back into her bed slightly.

“Your father? You mean Doctor Polendina?” Miss Schnee asked. _Yay! I conveyed something correctly to a stranger!_

“That is correct.” Penny was not expecting a laugh to follow her answer. _It doesn’t sound happy. Why isn’t that laugh happy?_

“So you think your creator is somehow your father, and he let you have a name? Isn’t that rich. Next thing you know, you’re going to ask me to ‘hang out’ and paint our nails and talk about cute boys!” Miss Schnee was becoming more animated, her voice ringing out into Penny’s ears.

“I’d rather talk about cute girls,” Penny mumbled, unable to stop herself.

“And you’re a homosexual too? Isn’t _that_ something. No wonder you seem so unnatural. I wonder what other filth your father programmed into you?”

“I wasn’t programmed this way, I chose-”

“Oh, you think your father let you have the virtue of choice? Something given to humanity by the gods? Your father _somehow_ has the powers of the God of Darkness? I’d love to see his face in the tabloids after that news came out.” Miss Schnee took a deep breath before glaring at Penny. 

“As much as I hate to give you even a single courtesy, I’ll give you some honesty in the hope that you cease interacting with me beyond what’s necessary for your job: Fathers are not there for you. They don’t care about you, your feelings, your dreams, or whatever other stupid things you think about. They are only in it. For. Themselves.”

Penny was reeling, her sensors feeding her contradictory inputs as she felt her processors overclock.

“I don’t even care if my father learns from you that I said all that. It’s nothing compared to what I’ve already suffered. Now let me recuperate in peace, far away from _you_ , the talking sculpture that is the testament to my failure.” Miss Schnee lay back in her bed now, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. When Penny didn’t move, she turned her head and glared at her.

“LEAVE!” Miss Schnee screamed, and Penny ran out of the room, saline solution dripping from her eyes.

 _Father, why would you have me protect this person? I...I just wanted to help._ Penny paused outside the building, tears flowing as she slumped against the wall.

 _She’s in so much pain. She just needs some support,_ a voice in the back of her processes said, one very much like her father’s _._

Penny wiped her tears with her sleeve and stood up resolutely.

_She might not want me, but I will be there for her._

_I’m not going to fail my first mission. I will protect Weiss Schnee._

_Even if it’s from herself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by volchitsa_of_winterfell
> 
> 1.7.2 and 1.9 are references to the Minecraft updates  
> This originally had a different ending, but I think this kind of hopeful tone suits Penny better. Particularly since she’s going to be the only ray of sunshine on team BWPR for a while, she could use the pep in her step.


	6. Many Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our students make their way towards Beacon for the start of their schooling.
> 
> What thoughts are they bringing with them?

Once aboard the airship, Ruby had time to reflect on the past several days, and worry about the _next_ several.

Her fight with Roman Torchwick hadn’t been publicized, much to her relief. She wouldn’t want her reputation to include her failure to apprehend a wounded criminal. _That fire lady was a surprise - didn’t think he had connections to huntsman-quality accomplices. It_ was _nice to see Aunt Glynda, though, despite the circumstances._

She grinned, thinking back to the fight. _I wish I could have examined his cane. Despite obviously being a back-alley weapon, the barrel’s flexibility and strength was incredible._

Ruby risked a glance at her sister on the other end of the airship, surrounded by her friends. She sighed, her grin falling off her face. _I wish I could talk to Yang about this._

She still hadn’t gotten an answer as to why Yang was so against her going to Beacon. It _was_ the best school around, and the closest, with the added benefit that it was the only one that had an active portal target. She knew she could trust Aunt Glynda, even with how close the older woman was to _Ozpin._ Ruby had a small chuckle, thinking back to the lesson her mothers had ingrained in her long ago.

“If he starts talking to you about fairy tales, what do you do?” her mam would ask.

“Scream and run away, Mam!” Ruby would answer.

If Mom was nearby, she’d add: “Don’t forget to kick him where it hurts!”

Ruby wasn’t worried about Ozpin; she knew what secrets had been told to her parents, so no promise of future knowledge could sway her. She knew of his secret war, and the maidens, and the horrible burden he tried to place on a chosen few of each successive generation of students. It had cost her parents deeply; their team was now without their fourth member forever.

Ruby had hoped that kind of separation would never happen to her and Yang, but it seemed like their relationship was doomed to failure.

The last time Yang had been there for her, _truly_ there for her, was back when Ruby was still a _him._ Ruby had taken a chance, and told her older sister first. Yang had teasingly laughed at her fear over telling their parents - “they’re gay, Robin, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” And it had been. Her mothers’ open arms were a glorious sight for her terrified heart. Qrow took some time to adjust, but he wasn’t around as much and had less practice.

The kids at school quickly learned from Yang and Raven’s thinly-veiled threats that the new “Ruby” was not to be messed with. And as she got older, she became able to defend herself as well.

Early hormone treatment had been kind to Ruby, giving her a waifish look with little to no stubble or other masculine features to accidentally out her. She still envied her sister’s hourglass figure, but Yang’s rants about back problems and unwanted stares had given her the impression that perhaps being stacked was a mixed bag.

Ruby wasn’t particularly worried about transphobes at Beacon. She had the skills to make them stop out of either respect or fear, and she wouldn’t hesitate to put those people in their place. It just would be nice to not have them on her team. She didn’t plan on hiding who she was, but she would rather just not make a big deal out of it.

Ruby heard her sister’s boisterous laugh from across the airship and sighed. _I just want this ride to end._

\----------------------------------

Yang was very excited for Beacon, even with the addition of her moping sister on the other side of the airship.

She knew that being two among the crowds of students would help them keep their distance from one another. _You keep to your circle, and leave me to mine._

Yang, try as she might, could never push down the envy she felt whenever she looked at her sister. Ruby had great proportions, flawless skin, and hair from a shampoo commercial, all without taking much care of it.

It drove Yang crazy how _normal_ Ruby looked. Yang’s olive skin, almond-shaped eyes, and wiry hair always made her feel like an outsider on the largely white island of Patch, something that even extended to her own home.

And it didn’t help that Ruby got both Mam’s bird powers _and_ a version of Summer’s semblance.

Yang was honestly dumbfounded at Ruby’s attempts thus far to “fix” their relationship. _You can’t “fix” this like you can fix machines, Ruby. These things live or they die. I thought Mam’s failure to “fix” Tai would have taught you that lesson. But it seems that I will have to get it through your thick skull._

Her friend Keppel made some joke about the queasy-looking blond man in the corner, and Yang laughed harder than she felt, desperate to escape the thoughts of her family.

_A new start is just around the corner._

\----------------------------------

Blake opened up her scroll once again, and checked on her hair bow. She’d had it custom-made in Vale to conceal her Faunus ears. There was a rigid base that slotted over her feline ears to keep the bows upright, and more importantly, mask any small involuntary movements.

In addition to hiding her ears, she had changed her name and forged fake identity papers. _Blake Nightshade. A human orphan._ To add to the “orphan aesthetic,” she had cut her hair short and purposefully not washed it properly in the weeks leading up to her arrival at Beacon. _If you live on the streets, why would you have long hair? The only reason I could in the Fang was that I had a desk job._ A change of clothes completed the new look. As an extra precaution, she had taken Gambol Shroud and “fixed” the secondhand clothes that weren’t already torn and frayed.

The final step was countermeasures against facial recognition. Luckily, Beacon provided a security that many other combat schools didn’t: it forbade photographs of students being circulated beyond campus, and used advanced webcrawling software to delete or censor those that slipped out. Beacon had many rich and prestigious families send their children there, and those types of people tended to have enemies.

They obviously couldn’t stop leaks entirely, but just having a school policy against them gave Blake a small amount of comfort. Her own special foundation designed to appear blurry on cameras helped, as did the custom virus she was going to upload to Beacon’s servers once she had proper access. It wasn’t going to cause any damage; it would just give the server an extra incentive to look for mentions of her in particular, and delete them quickly.

She just hoped her preparations were enough. The White Fang had become more tech-savvy thanks to her own guidance, and now it was coming around to bite her. _Never thought my own team would be used to hunt me down, but that’s likely their latest assignment,_ Blake thought grimly.

 _Best-case scenario: I can blend into the background and just be left alone. A poor scholarship girl with dark skin and an accent isn’t going to be that unusual. I just hope no one recognizes me slipping into Menaje accidentally - I don’t want to have to explain that_. _I was adopted? Sure, let’s go with that._

_If people start to question things, I can just feign ignorance until they leave me alone._

_Here’s to obscurity._

\----------------------------------

Ren was trying to meditate. Emphasis on _trying_. But when you associate yourself with Nora Valkyrie, sometimes peace will elude you.

“That red-haired girl over there looks so cool! She looks so badass with her boots and mask! We’re going to be friends!” Nora whisper-shouted into his ear. 

_Like right now._ He sighed and opened his eyes, giving up on his endeavor for now.

Nora was leaning against him and pointing at various students, making casual observations. “The blonde girl’s laugh is fake, the blond guy looks like he’s about to barf, _that_ redhead dude is a sleazebag, and _this_ redhead girl is awesome!” she finished with a smile, pointing at herself.

“You sure are, Nora,” Ren chuckled quietly.

“What were you thinking about, Renny?” Nora settled down, sensing something.

“Just...worried.”

“Anything specific?”

Ren paused, thinking: _There’s almost too much._

How would they fit in with these people who clearly came from more privileged backgrounds than they did? Would they be able to see each other as often as they wanted? Would their weapons hold up? Would the farm be okay in their absence? Would Nora’s new-

Ren’s racing thoughts were interrupted by Nora pressing into his nose with her finger. “Boop,” she said softly. Ren blushed and awkwardly tapped her nose back, calming down slightly.

“Just breathe, Ren. Do you want to make a list?”

Ren nodded.

“So, what’s first?” Nora asked, scooting ever so slightly closer towards him. The physical contact of her side against his was reassuring without being smothering - a balance that had been difficult to manage earlier on in their relationship.

“How are we going to fit in, Nora?” Ren said with a sigh.

“Like with our accents? Or being poor? Or our hand-me-down weapons? Or finding time for pancakes? Or-”

Ren chuckled. “Well, we’ll obviously manage that last one.”

Nora smiled gently. “We’ll figure it out, Ren, we always do. We don’t get to pick how other people feel. And if they give us shit, you know what we do?”

“Nora, please-”

“We break their legs!” Nora said louder than intended as she struck a pose, drawing the attention of people around them.

Once the background conversations returned to their previous level, Nora looked Ren in the eye once again.

“Is it about Storm?” she asked quietly. Ren shivered in fear.

They weren’t really sure what had happened to Nora in that incident four years ago. One minute she and Ren had been out getting firewood for the farm, the next Nora’s eyes were wreathed in pink flames, and she rose into the air as a thunderstorm sprang into life above them. But just as suddenly as the display of power appeared, it was gone, and Nora fell back to the ground exhausted.

Unfortunately for them, the rain had not stopped, leading to a very annoying walk back inside followed by an apology to Mr. Pine about the lack of firewood. He had waved off their apology, teasing them about “taking their sweet time” - something that got both of the young teens blushing and stuttering while the older man laughed.

After some trial and error, they’d figured out that it wasn’t Nora’s semblance getting stronger, but something else - some power _beyond_ aura. Nora could now generate lightning herself, instead of just absorbing and redirecting or redistributing it. In addition, she could summon rain and small gusts of wind. She never was able to replicate the flying, much to her own disappointment. They needed a name for the mysterious power, so Nora called it “Storm,” after how it first appeared.

They had kept it a secret since. Throughout the years, they had never stopped discreetly looking for answers. But perhaps because of their careful pace, they had found nothing.

“Yeah,” Ren said as he pulled himself from reminiscing. “That too.”

“We’ll just be careful, Ren. No one’s figured it out yet, and we had nine siblings! _And_ Mr. and Mrs. Pine! I know it’s me, the blabbermouth, but I’ll do my best.”

Ren reached over and slipped his hand into Nora’s in a rare public display of affection.

“Oh,” Nora said softly, her face slowly matching the color of her hair.

“Stay safe.”

“How can I say no to that?” Nora said in mock exasperation. “And you know if you’re ever in danger, I don’t care about what comes after. I’m keeping _you_ safe.”

“I know,” Ren said with a soft smile, leaning into Nora’s shoulder and laying his head on top of hers. “I’d do the same.”

After a small pause, Nora quietly squeaked: “Ren, aren’t you embarrassed? We’re _in public_.” Ren could feel Nora’s pulse quickening.

“Let me lie here for a while?”

“Anything for you,” Nora said with a sigh, stroking the back of his hand gently with her calloused hand.

_Whatever happens, we’ll always have each other._

\----------------------------------

Jaune had worried about coming back to Beacon so soon, especially because people who knew him _before_ had yet to fully graduate. But in the end, the job offer directly after graduating had been too sweet to pass on, especially as his parents grew older and his younger sisters started attending college. Being near Ozpin wasn’t going to be pleasant, especially after their last argument regarding the maidens, but Jaune was convinced he could make it work.

 _After all, I’m mostly going to be doing groundskeeping with Professor Peach. How often will I talk to the_ headmaster _as a mere Teaching Assistant?_

 _Plus, there are perks to being in a relative position of privilege. I now have the authority to punish bullies. Hopefully I can help some students avoid what happened to me,_ Jaune thought with a small smile, before his stomach found a new knot to tie itself in. _Ugh. Can’t wait for a new class to think of me as the Vomit Girl. Though I guess it’d be Vomit Boy now. Feels...better, somehow._

Jaune ran his fingers through his shorn blond hair, attempting unsuccessfully to focus on any sensation other than that of his stomach trying to riot. 

_Nice to know some things never change._

\----------------------------------

Weiss gazed out the window at the landscape below her. _Vale is beautiful this time of year,_ she thought as her private airship flew towards Beacon. _Autumn will be spectacular here. All that red and yellow._

The scene’s beauty was not lost on Weiss’s bodyguard _._ Since the spring, Penny had clung to Weiss like an annoying dog, trying desperately to befriend her.

_I don’t want or need friends. All I need is for you to do your job and stay out of my way._

Yet despite her refusal of Penny’s companionship, Weiss could not stop thinking about the android.

Penny had proven herself to be astonishingly lifelike - so much that it frightened Weiss on occasion. It was as if a portrait was moving and speaking.

Penny ate with her at mealtimes. Penny’s skin had been cut once during training, and she bled a coppery fluid. Weiss had seen her cry a handful of times. She even blinked and breathed.

_Her skin looks almost clearer than mine, with a subtle peach tint to the pale white complexion. Her eyes shine, her hair ruffles softly in the breeze. Her lips-_

Weiss shook her head. These thoughts had been coming to her more insistently with each passing encounter with the android. _I do not know what is the matter with me, but I do know it’s her fault. She continues to try and befriend me despite my attempts to rebuff her, and she has wormed her way into my thoughts somehow._

“Weiss, look! You can see the school now!” Penny said from the seat opposite her, pointing out the window.

“I know, Penny.”

_We both have jobs to do here. Stick to them._

\----------------------------------

 _Finally, we’re on the ground,_ Ruby thought as her boots touched the cobblestone path to Beacon. _That ride felt like an eternity._

She heard clicking heels approach the group of students, and a hushed silence came over them. Ruby peered through the crowd to see Aunt Glynda. _So she got welcome duty this year_.

“Welcome to Beacon, students. I am Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy headmistress of the school. This is the academy where you will first grasp the depth of your potential, and it is your duty as students to figure out how best to utilize it - with proper guidance, of course,” Glynda said, cracking her whip with a smirk. Several students gulped. “You are here because you are among the best and brightest of your generation. Do not disappoint us.”

“Hi, Aunt Glynda!” Ruby heard Yang yell from across the crowd. Ruby groaned. _Already drawing attention, Yang?_

Glynda smiled warmly at the blonde girl. “Hello, Yang. Is Ruby here too?”

“Here,” Ruby called out weakly, raising her hand reluctantly.

Glynda focused on her, and Ruby could feel the crowd part around her to give the teacher a clear sightline. “Good to see you both, dears,” she said softly, before stiffening back into her teaching demeanor.

“Familial reunions aside, all should feel welcome within our walls. We congratulate you on taking your first step towards your lives as huntsmen. We will begin the orientation tour in roughly thirty minutes.”

The end of Aunt Glynda’s speech was punctuated by the queasy-looking blond boy loudly vomiting into a trash can.

\----------------------------------

Raven sat down with a sigh on a threadbare couch in front of the fireplace.

“Finally confronting being an empty nester, mama bird?” came a voice from the chair beside her.

Raven turned to see her wife knitting with an amused smirk on her face. “Did you just make a bird pun?”

“Obviously,” Summer replied with a pout. “Did you have to ask?”

A wry smile appeared on Raven’s face. “Never hurts to check,” she sighed. “But yes.”

“They’re almost adults now, Rae. We can’t protect them forever,” Summer said.

“I know, _annwyl_. I know. I just-”

“Worry? Of course you do. That’s your _job_.” Summer leaned over to poke her wife’s cheek with the blunt end of her needle. “Just like it’s my job to worry about you.”

Raven let out a small grumble from the contact, her light blush betraying her true feelings on the teasing.

“We taught them well, didn’t we?” Summer asked.

Raven nodded ruefully. “Sometimes I worry we taught them too well. They are much stronger than their peers, and independent. But they’re both so arrogant.”

“Just like their mam at their age,” Summer replied with a teasing grin.

“And just like their mam, they’re keeping themselves isolated. I can tell Ruby wants friends but doesn’t know how to make them. And Yang is even worse. She’s so shallow in her relationships, and her anger-”

“Should fade with time, Rae. Just like yours did,” Summer said soothingly. “They’ll turn out just fine. We did.”

Raven frowned. “That’s what I’m worried about, that it will take too long for them to be happy. I just...think we made them grow up too fast.” _Just like I did. Am I just repeating the sins of my parents?_

“The world’s not going to wait for them to be ready.”

Raven wasn’t hearing Summer’s words. She was too lost in her own pain. “Tai would have done a better job than I have.”

\----------------------------------

Summer could not believe the shit her wife was shoveling.

“What?!” Summer yelled. _If I could, I’d walk right over there and smack some sense into her._

“He was only ever bad with me. You know how good he was with kids. He would have made a fine dad-” Raven’s speech was interrupted by Summer throwing her half-completed needlework into her face.

Summer was seething with rage, tears streaming down her face.

“How long?”

Raven merely looked stunned at the question. “What?”

“How long have you felt like this?”

Raven let out a pained sigh. “Every day.”

 _Legs be damned,_ Summer thought, gritting her teeth. Activating her semblance, she launched herself out of her chair with a flash of roses and tumbled face first onto her wife’s lap, her glasses clattering to the floor. She used her toned arms to pull herself up towards Raven’s face.

Raven was crying too.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Summer asked, stroking Raven’s cheeks gently with calloused fingers.

“I didn’t want to bring him up with the girls around,” Raven said hesitantly, arms slowly closing around Summer’s body.

“You” - Summer looked for the right words - “idiot,” she finished, half crying and laughing at the label she chose.

Raven responded similarly, a sad chuckle coming through her tears.

“You may have made some bad choices, Rae, but you never gave up. You always tried to get better, to learn more. That’s more than Tai ever did.” Summer was holding Raven’s face close, their red and brown eyes gazing into each other with love and longing.

“I remember how you were when we first met,” Summer continued.

Raven’s flush returned, and she began to squirm in her wife’s grasp. “Not this story...”

“Oh yes, this story. Do you remember what happened?”

“How could I not?” Raven groaned, her hands clutching Summer’s shirt tighter in embarrassment. “Anyone would have reacted the same.”

“Anyone?”

“Who falls out of the sky to decapitate a Grimm, makes eye contact, and then immediately asks their new partner out?” Raven said with exasperation.

“Someone who was high on adrenaline and saw a really pretty girl,” Summer said, kissing Raven’s cheek. “Do you remember what you said to me?”

Raven groaned once again, trying desperately to sink into the couch cushions to escape the prodding. “ ‘I’m not into girls’ ?”

“Well, that was obviously a lie,” Summer said saucily, finally kissing Raven’s lips.

“I didn’t know, Sum.”

“But you do now.”

“Yeah,” Raven said, leaning her head against Summer’s. “I do. Thanks, Summer.”

“Anytime, Raven.”

“And that pounce was impressive,” Raven said appreciatively.

“I’m not that old yet!” Summer said with a pout before giving Raven a smoldering look. “I know some other skills that haven’t dulled yet, either,” she said as she ran her fingers down Raven’s collarbone

Raven flushed. _Perfect. She’s so cute when she’s red._

Parental worries were forgotten as the two women fell into a molten embrace.

_We can worry tomorrow. Tonight will be for us._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In canon, we never see Yang’s friends onscreen. Her ‘subplot’ of wanting independence from her sister never really went anywhere, dropping off after maybe 2 episodes, which doesn’t make sense ESPECIALLY seeing as she ended up with her sister as her team leader. I decided to focus more on that character conflict between them.
> 
> More members of the main cast appear! There’s quite a few differences there.
> 
> Blake has her Atlas haircut, as do Jaune and Ren. And Blake has a fake name bc that made NO SENSE in canon. Good luck with wishing for obscurity, Blake.
> 
> In this version, Ren and Nora will use older-style weapons like Qrow’s. It’s weird in canon that they appear to have rather modern weapons despite being orphans. Neither appear to be hand-me-downs either.
> 
> Another is accents. More languages and accents! This isn’t some sci-fi world where we have standardized speech, this is a world with highly isolated pockets of humanity. There won’t be many communication difficulties, as I think too much reliance on them would bog down the story (not to mention be a headache to keep track of for me).
> 
> Blake will speak Sanet (specifically the Valean dialect), and Menaje, the language of Menagerie!
> 
> And yay, parenting anxiety! I hope I got Raven right. She’s just a tsundere tiger mom, right?  
> Summer is basically a more mature version of canon Ruby, with some PTSD to go with (which we’ll get into later).  
> Summer has brown eyes for a reason. They weren’t always that color.
> 
> Annwyl - “beloved”


	7. The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the arrival of one Weiss Schnee aboard a private airship, the main cast has assembled.
> 
> Is everyone ready for the tour?

Ruby spent most of the thirty-minute break staring at airships as they went to and from Beacon and Vale, listening to music on her headphones.

She didn’t really feel like talking to anyone just yet, and besides, any conversation would be soon interrupted by the tour.

A number of the airships coming into Beacon were small private crafts, some dropping off as little as one student plus luggage. _Those must be the rich kids_ , Ruby thought.

One airship in particular caught her eye; it gleamed under the mid-afternoon sun, light sparkling off the snowflake emblem on its side. _Why is an SDC ship here, particularly a Lambda-class one? Those are the family’s personal aircrafts. Why would a Schnee be coming to Beacon?_

Ruby didn’t entertain the thought much. It just seemed so unrealistic that an Atlas blue-blood would choose to go to a Valean school.

 _It’s probably just a special Dust shipment for the teachers or something. Still, I wonder if I can get a closer look_.

Ruby approached the helipad as the shuttle found a spot to touch down on it. It extended landing gear from the bottom of its hull, and the cargo bay doors opened on its underbelly once it had settled. Ruby made sure to stay out of the way of the ramp that would momentarily unfold from the passenger deck above. 

She took a moment to look at the landing gear. _Coooooool._ _This ship’s been modified by someone who knows what they’re doing. The landing gear on these is usually flat, but these are claw-shaped so they can land in rough conditions. And I think there’s even gravity Dust embedded in the hooks. That’s overkill, even for me._

Ruby’s thorough appreciation of the mechanics involved in building an airship was cut short by a high-pitched yell, followed by a white blur crashing on top of her.

\----------------------------------

Weiss was glad to be on the ground after a long flight.

She had appreciated the spectacular views of Vale and Beacon from above, but after the hours of gazing out the window, Weiss was ready to find something new to distract herself from her ruminations about Penny.

Once the ship had landed and she had unbuckled herself, she made her way down to the passenger bay doors.

_I hate this ship. Why is the passenger compartment elevated so much?_

Weiss could imagine her father’s voice replying: _“First impressions are important, Weiss. You must start any encounter reinforcing the idea that you are above them. The simple trick of elevation is one that works wonders. After all, children rarely challenge giants.”_

Weiss shivered and tried to put her father as far from her mind as possible.

She stood before the bay doors as they opened with a hiss of depressurization. She immediately surveyed the crowd, trying to note any particularly skilled-looking individuals.

 _Is that Cardin Winchester?_ Weiss groaned internally at the disappointment of having to attend school with a childhood acquaintance and annoyance. 

As she continued looking around, she noticed a girl crouched by the landing gear muttering to herself.

She was short, though still taller than Weiss. She had black-to-red ombre hair in a pixie cut, and was wearing a most peculiar outfit.

Weiss squinted to get a closer look of her face.

A line of text suddenly appeared across the bottom of her vision: **Activating Zoom**. Before she could react, her left eye sent a small electric shock through her face as it magnified its vision dramatically. She cried out in surprise. With the sudden shift in perspective, Weiss lost her balance and fell from the ramp.

Right onto the red-haired girl.

_Great._

\----------------------------------

Ruby had thought she was prepared for anything Beacon could throw at her. She’d been trained by three of the best huntsmen to ever graduate from its halls, after all.

_They never told me what to do if a pale twig falls out of the sky on top of you._

Ruby looked the girl over as they both got to their feet. She was small, petite even, but clearly owned a six-foot-tall personality. Her eyes were a lovely shade of ice-blue, and the scar over her left eye gave her a roguish look that was nicely enhanced by the mess that her recent tumble had made of her plaited hair. She looked beautiful and defiant in a way that reminded Ruby of her Mam.

“Weiss, are you alright?” A feminine voice called out from above. Ruby looked up at this other girl, and her heart squeezed.

 _Fuck, she’s cute too_. From her sparkling green eyes to her smattering of freckles to her curly ginger hair, this girl looked so tooth-achingly sweet that Ruby wouldn’t be surprised if she was actually made of cookies.

“- you even listening to me!?”

A sharp increase in volume nearby made Ruby refocus on the problem at hand. A Schnee, presumably named Weiss, had been talking to Ruby.

“I am now,” Ruby responded, folding her arms together and standing up straighter.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” Probably-Weiss asked indignantly.

“You’re a Schnee, and I’m guessing your first name is Weiss from your friend up there. That means you’re the heiress to the SDC, a company known for its industry excellence.” The girl’s mouth ticked up into a smirk, that was promptly flattened by the following statement from Ruby: “And for being owned by a family with sticks up their asses.”

“Excuse me?!”

“Anyway, I was just standing here looking at your ship and you fell onto me. No need to be upset. We can both just walk away from this.”

Weiss’s mouth opened and closed but no words came out.

“In fact, I’m just going to do that. See you later, Weiss,” Ruby said with a wave, and she spun on her heels and walked away.

She smiled when she heard the heiress start yelling after her about her “impudence and nerve.” But then her smile faded when she realized that the cute ginger was probably her servant.

_Damn, I probably made her life a little bit harder just now._

_So much for first impressions._

\----------------------------------

Blake smirked at the sight of the red-cloaked girl walking away from Weiss Schnee. _Whoever she is, she has some guts to walk away from a Schnee like that._

Blake couldn’t help that her eyes lingered on Weiss after that. The SDC, and the Schnees by association, were emblematic of all that was wrong with human society. It only made sense to study the first one she’d ever seen in person. But something about the girl was different than Blake had imagined.

_I thought she’d be much more...regal than that. More poised. She’d certainly seemed that way in SDC’s propaganda videos. But the first thing she did upon arrival was trip onto a bystander and then fail to handle it with any tact whatsoever._

Blake sighed. _I just wanted to lay low here. But my new classmates include not only the Invincible Girl but also the Schnee heiress? I should have picked a different academy._

“Alright, everyone, time’s up. The tour begins,” Goodwitch called from the center of the landing facility.

Blake stood up with a groan.

_No choice but to play it safe now._

\----------------------------------

Weiss had no small number of things to be upset about.

First, she had made a bad first impression on her fellow students. Whatever the merits of her father’s other beliefs, he was correct that first impressions were important. A Schnee is meant to appear dignified and superior. But she had tripped over _nothing_ and landed on a fellow student, who then proceeded to insult her family and leave before Weiss even got a chance to respond properly.

Second, and more worryingly, her eye had activated itself. Weiss had been purposefully avoiding its enhanced abilities in the months since receiving it. She didn’t want to give her father the satisfaction of knowing his _gift_ had turned out to be useful. However, it seemed like her avoidance wouldn’t be sustainable long-term. _If merely_ _squinting_ _can set it off, then perhaps I am in more dire straits than I anticipated. I might have to read the manual._

Finally, Penny had not ceased her worried hovering since the incident. She had spoken soothing words to Weiss while Weiss had been yelling after the red-cloaked girl. She had even tried to comfort her with physical contact by placing a gentle hand on Weiss’s shoulder. Despite Weiss’s vigorous verbal rejection of that act, she couldn’t help but feel calmer afterwards. _I just need her to stop touching me. At this rate she’s going to...infect me with her deviancy, or something._

There were numerous other concerns (like how best to avoid Cardin), but these three were at the forefront of Weiss’s mind as she walked along with the tour group. She took care to place distance between herself and the red-cloaked girl, and wished she could distance herself from Penny just as easily.

“This is the lunchroom,” Ms. Goodwitch said as she opened a pair of large double doors. The assorted students took a moment to peer into the room. It had rows of long tables with benches for seating. The upper level sported a balcony which contained an assortment of smaller tables with individual chairs. To the left of the door was where the food would be prepared and served.

 _I doubt the food will be up to my standards,_ Weiss thought glumly.

“When are mealtimes?!” a short and stocky red-headed girl asked, throwing up her hand and bouncing in place with excitement. A slim Mistrali-looking boy next to her had the presence of mind to look embarrassed at her immature behavior.

Weiss looked the pair up and down. _Their clothes are quite well-worn and look secondhand at least. They must be some of the poorer scholarship students - I’ve seen several around with similar appearances. While they certainly have a ways to go regarding manners and dress, they still deserve some respect. They did manage to be accepted here,_ _after all._

“Mealtimes are listed in your orientation packet, Miss Valkyrie,” Ms. Goodwitch responded. “Students are free to attend the communal meals as they wish; any and all meals are included in your room and board. You are also at liberty to cook your own meals in the dorm kitchens, but those who have missed multiple communal mealtimes without notifying their teammates will be brought in for mental health counseling.”

“I told you to read it, Nora,” the Mistrali boy said with an exasperated tone as Ms. Goodwitch moved onto the next topic.

“You know I’m dyslexic, Ren. And Valean’s not exactly my strong suit. Stupid swimmy letters,” Nora said back to him, finishing in a grumble. _Hmm, foreigners as well? I knew I heard a Mistrali accent. They must be skilled indeed._

After passing by several academic buildings without much fanfare, the group stopped before one built on a grander scale. To Weiss, it looked like a smaller and less opulent version of the cathedrals from home.

“And here is the chapel and counseling center. We offer a wide variety of secular services for students in need of mental support. We also hold regular services for those of the _Vier Mädchen_ , Dual Brotherhood, and Animist faiths. Finally, this building houses several scholars - though not ordained practitioners - of a few smaller sects such as the Luna.”

Weiss wrinkled her face in disgust at the mention of Animism. _Disgusting pagan animals. How self-centered do you have to be to worship yourselves? The Brothers made this world, and you choose to venerate your own kind instead of those who created you? Unbelievable._

\----------------------------------

Penny had already downloaded a _nearly_ exact 3-D model of the campus, but decided to react to Ms. Goodwitch’s information as if it were new. _It’s an exercise in fitting in._

She grew nervous as they neared the campus workshop, where the forges, firing ranges, and all sorts of mechanical testing equipment could be found. She supposed it was a similar experience to visiting a new doctor’s office for a human: it should feel familiar and comforting, but it doesn’t. For Penny, it was the lack of her father that made it feel so alien.

“ _Anhygoel_ ,” a voice near Penny whispered in a tone that sounded almost reverent. She turned and saw that it was the red-cloaked girl from the landing pad.

_What language was that? Searching databases….Ah. It’s Cymrish, a dying language used almost exclusively by small tribes around Anima. Diverged from Old Animan approximately 400 years ago. Outside of Mistral, it is often derisively referred to as “Tangletongue.”_

_Downloading language pack now._

The red-cloaked girl’s silver eyes sparkled as she muttered quickly under her breath, continuing in the foreign tongue: “ _Oh my gosh, they have a plasma cutter! I can’t wait to use that to make a new mecha-shift matrix for Crescent Rose - I knew using the water jet would lead to excess material on the gears. I should have just gone with my gut, but Aunt Vernal said it would be “good enough for bandit work.” Ugh, I’m gonna have to learn how to use a CAD program just to do it though. But it’ll all be worth it. My baby is gonna get some sweeeeet upgrades this semester. Oh shit, is Aunt Glynda done with the presentation already? No one’s saying anything-_ ”

At that moment the girl’s eyes met Penny’s, and the two shared a stare that made Penny feel like her processors were overheating. The girl broke eye contact first as a blush formed on her face to match Penny’s own, and she turned away from Penny to follow the group.

_I think she was “checking me out” earlier too._

_I hope she does it again._

\----------------------------------

_That was so embarrassing! That was such a weird moment. I hope meeting people’s eyes like that doesn’t become a regular thing. I don’t want people paying too much attention to my eyes and finding out they’re not just gray - can’t risk any information making its way to Salem._

_Ugh, Mam_ _told me I should have gotten some protection. But colored contacts are so uncomfortable, and if I got surgery like Mom I’d lose my powers and risk my eyesight. I’m just starting my career! I can’t afford to take that chance._

Ruby sighed.

_I’ll just try to lay low, I guess, until I can have a solo career-_

“And over here we have Beacon Tower. At the top is Headmaster Ozpin’s office.”

Ruby’s train of thought was interrupted by a wave of anger within her at the mention of the headmaster. She sent a withering glare at the large window that overlooked the campus, knowing that Ozpin usually stood there scheming. She hoped she would never be called up there. She knew too well the consequences of an immortal’s attention.

Ruby was lost in thought for some time as she walked, largely ignoring Aunt Glynda’s descriptions while she brooded, until she heard: “And for the last stop on our tour, we have the dorm complexes.” At that, Ruby did her best to shake herself from her darker thoughts and pay attention.

Aunt Glynda gestured in turn to six buildings of various builds and sizes as she spoke. “These are, in order: the first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year dorms, the unmatched students’ dorm, and the guest building.

“The first-year dorms are the most pertinent to you all. You will be assigned a room number after initiation: you will be living together with your team. Each team will share a single bedroom with an attached kitchenette and bathroom. In addition, there is a larger kitchen as well as shower and bathroom facilities on each floor, which are open to all. Floors and rooms will not be segregated by sex or gender, as that will not happen in the field or the military. However, even though you will be in close and often compromising proximity to people of your own age, we expect you to behave with respect. All reports of harassment are taken extremely seriously by our staff and school administrators.

“The other two buildings of note to you all are the unmatched students’ dorm and the guest building. Until the month before the Vytal Festival, the guest building will be completely closed. Trespassers will be punished, so find somewhere else for amorous activities. A month before the Festival, the building will open to staff for cleaning, but only once the visitors arrive will the building be open to students.

“Should you find yourself teamless for any reason, you will move to the unmatched students’ building. There, you will live in shared spaces with other teamless students until you find a new team. The finer details of this system will be discussed more in the future.

“And that concludes the tour, new students of Beacon. Please return to the cafeteria for dinner, and then you will be dismissed until tomorrow’s activities. Good luck.”

\----------------------------------

Ruby was tired after dinner. Despite having known the information in the tour ahead of time, it had taken her a surprising amount of energy to follow along. She attributed this to the general bustle of people that had surrounded her since she arrived.

_I mean, I know I’m an introvert, but am I really this bad?_

She did her best to find a quiet spot in the auditorium where Beacon had set up cots for the next several days. She set down her pack and pulled out an instructional manual on the CAD program that Beacon used, flipping it open at her bookmark and pulled out a pen and notebook to take notes. She had been working through the book ever since she got her acceptance letter, but it had been slow going.

Ruby had grown up with a relatively spartan level of technology in her house. Mam was protective on a good day and paranoid on a bad one, and computers had been one of her frequent targets. And that was even without considering how often Uncle Qrow caused them to fail simply by being around them. The most advanced electronic item she’d ever used was her military-grade scroll, and that could only call and text.

Ruby regarded the textbook with a sneer, sizing up her prey. _I will best you, foul electrical demon!_

After several minutes of studying, Ruby heard someone clear their throat nearby. “Um, hello?”

Ruby nearly jumped out of her seated position, her left hand already reaching for a combat knife she kept on her person at all times. Her eyes flew off the page only to meet the shining green eyes of the girl from the landing pad. _Fuck._

“Sorry!” the girl squeaked, hastily stepping back. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to introduce myself.” Ruby relaxed slightly, her hand pulling away from the knife’s hiding spot.

_Play it cool, Ruby. She just saw you freak out over nothing._

“Why?” Ruby answered curtly before mentally smacking herself. _Yeah, that’s a great way to start._

“Well, you and Weiss had an altercation earlier, and I wanted to come over and apologize.”

“‘S not your fault,” Ruby shrugged, trying to sound casual and reassuring.

“Nevertheless, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Penny Polendina.” Penny stuck her hand out and Ruby hesitantly shook it. _Goddammit, her skin is just as soft as I thought it would be._

“Ruby Branwen,” she answered back, gulping slightly. _I need to get her to leave before I say or do anything I regret. I do not have enough spoons for a conversation with a cute girl right now._ “I’d like to get back to my book, if that’s alright.”

Penny’s eyes widened. “Oh! I’m sorry, I should have anticipated that you wouldn’t like being interrupted.” She looked upset with herself.

“It’s fine. I’m open to talking, just, some other time?”

The smile Ruby was treated to was blinding. “I’d like that a lot.” Penny leaned in and whispered conspiratorially: “You have good taste in knives,” before turning and heading towards where Weiss Schnee was situated in a corner.

_How the fuck did she know I had one?_

\----------------------------------

Yang psyched herself up to talk with Pyrrha. She had subtly checked her out when Pyrrha had politely asked about the gym’s accommodations during the tour. _It’d be nice to have a workout buddy - especially one with the physique of a god._

_Breathe in, breathe out. Use that old Yang charm. You got the scroll numbers of twins, remember?_

“Hello,” she said confidently, leaning against a pillar next to where Pyrrha had camped out in the auditorium.

“Oh! Hello,” Pyrrha replied, pausing the light stretching she was doing to gaze up at Yang. _Gods, is there any part of her that isn’t sculpted?_ “Can I help you?”

“Just wanted to say hi. I noticed you checking out the gym earlier and I was wondering if you wanted a workout buddy.” At that, a slight frown graced Pyrrha’s features. _Did I say something wrong?_

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable doing that with somebody who I just met. I don’t even know your name,” Pyrrha responded calmly.

“Yang Branwen. And that’s 100% cool, just looking to make new friends, you know? Sorry if I made you uncomfortable at all.”

“Not uncomfortable, just...cautious.”

Yang laughed, rubbing the back of her head, “Yeah, I can respect that. Well, I’ll leave you to your stretching. Hopefully I’ll see you around?”

“I think so, Yang. Nice to meet you.”

Yang flashed a bright smile. “Awesome. Night, then.”

Walking away from the scene, her smile relaxed slightly and she began to hum a pop song she'd heard in Junior’s bar.

_That’s one introduction down. Let’s see how many I can knock out tonight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Lambda-Class shuttle is a reference to the Imperial Shuttle from Star Wars.
> 
> I modeled how Weiss’s eye works on the contact lens cameras from Artemis Fowl: painful if you don’t know it’s coming, and often more disorienting than helpful. With practice, this should ebb.
> 
> The cafeteria is not only inspired by canon, but also by my own undergraduate cafeteria.
> 
> Animism makes a return! It’s not going to have as big of a story impact as it will in the future of Therian (my other current series), but it’s still going to be an important background element to the world.
> 
> Religion descriptions  
> Vier Mädchen - primarily Atlesian, worship of the Maidens. Loosely Christianity-based with each of the maidens working kinda like the saints from Catholicism, or the triumvirate from Christianity overall.
> 
> Dual Brotherhood - Worshipping the Brothers, obviously. This strikes me as perhaps the least “practiced” of the major religions. Most people (even those of other religions) tend to attribute the creation of the world to them, so it’s more a monomyth culturally than a “true religion.” There are still true believers though, and Weiss is among them.
> 
> Animism - Unlike what Weiss thinks, Animism is more equal parts liberation theology and meditation, rather than self-worship. Teaching yourself to love your body and having a philosophical/mental framework to deal with the outside world is important, especially for the second-class Faunus citizens.
> 
> Luna - They worship the shattered moon, with practice being much more mystical and spiritual than a true religion (like Wicca or Neo-Paganism, afaik).
> 
> Anhygoel- Amazing
> 
> I ended up cutting some information from the tour. There were originally going to be more scenes, but non-vital information was in them, and it felt jarring to me to switch back and forth between perspectives so much. The characters interactions I had planned will be moved to more appropriate times later in the story, once the school year is up and running.
> 
> I wanted Penny to come over to Ruby and get something like the canon Blake response to show how different Ruby is here from canon, but then I had so much fun writing her as a lesbian mess I decided it was fine.
> 
> “Computers are just magic witch boxes” - Raven, probably
> 
> Yang makes a new friend! I figured them both being gym rats would be a good angle for them to bond over. *looks at relationship tags* haha *sweats*  
> Why's Pyrrha acting so weird?


	8. Teachers, Classes, and a Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our cast goes through the second day of orientation, and start to make connections with each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm alive, I swear! I just went through a move, but we're started to get settled in. Should have more regular updates to come!

_Ugh, why is this taking so long?_ Yang thought as she stifled a yawn.

The first activity on their second day of orientation was meeting a number of the teachers. It was mostly the heads of the various departments, plus some newer faculty. Yang noticed Pyrrha’s eyes light up at the sight of the blond guy - _Jaune is his name_ \- who threw up after the airship flight.

_So that’s what ticks your box, huh?_

In contrast to apparently everyone else, Yang’s favorite teacher was Port. Yang didn’t really care if his stories were true or how much actual useful information they contained. They were just interesting; he was an excellent storyteller, if a little wordy.

Her second was Aunt Glynda, for obvious bisexual reasons, but on the other hand she was still _Aunt Glynda._

_It’s hard to be intimidated by her “sexy domme teacher” vibe when I’ve seen her drunkenly cry at pet food commercials._

_Just gotta make sure not to slip up in her class -_ everything _is gonna make it back home to Summer._

Yang let her eyes glaze over for most of the other teacher introductions: she already knew the gist of their personalities and teaching styles from both her parents and Aunt Glynda.

 _Just let me pick classes already,_ she groaned internally, sinking into her chair.

\----------------------------------

_What to take, what to take...._

Penny was at a loss when handed an empty class schedule. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around the idea of taking classes. On the one hand, she could readily download and sort through information at a much faster speed than could be taught to her. On the other hand, her private goal was to gain more insight into the human condition, and what was more human than doing things in an inefficient manner?

She thought that perhaps she should stay away from the more theoretical classes for that reason. _It’ll be too close to just using my processors. I’d like something more...hands-on._

_Let’s see. I’ll need to take a number of general classes to graduate, and if I do them at a rate of two per semester, I should easily be able to fit all of them in. It seems there’s a team-based class slot for the survival and combat classes for first years, so I won’t worry about those._

_Foreign languages? I can just download those. Weapon Crafting? I’m going to have to take it eventually...let’s put it as a “maybe.” It fits the experiential learning focus I’d like, but something about the forge just makes me uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it could end up being a good idea to work through that discomfort. And maybe Ruby could-?_

Penny shook her head to stop her decidedly unstudious thoughts from troubling her further. _Stay focused._

 _Folklore with Doctor Oobleck could be interesting. I_ _do enjoy discussing stories, and observing my classmates’ opinions on them would be most enlightening. But it’s odd that Primordial Grimm are listed as a featured topic of the_ _course_ , she thought with a frown. _That makes it sound like they’re imaginary._

_Oh! There’s a freshman medical class with Professor Suffolk. I should take that, since humans are surprisingly squishy._

_As much fun as seeing someone inspired by my father’s work would be, I’m probably not going to take Professor Alba’s class on prosthetics. That makes me even more uncomfortable than the weapon class._ Penny suppressed a shiver. _Like a human going to a class filled with severed limbs._

After looking through the rest of the rather extensive catalogue, Penny finally decided on her four classes.

_For the general education requirements, I’ll take a placement test for Dust Theory so that I can skip the introductory-level course and go straight to the second-year course, Dust Mechanics. I’ll “bite the bullet,” as they say, and take the freshman Weapon Crafting course as well. Maybe it will even be fun!_

_Then for my electives, I’ll take the Introductory Field Medicine class and the Folklore class._

Penny looked up from her paper beaming with satisfaction at her choices. Around the room, there were various students chatting with one another, comparing options and making small talk, as well as plenty of people working solo like Penny had been, heads bent and brows furrowed in concentration.

Penny had wanted to join in the socializing, but Weiss had refused to speak with any of her classmates thus far, and Penny didn’t want to stray too far from Weiss.

_Maybe I can get her to open up at the picnic this afternoon._

\----------------------------------

Weiss was glad for the picnic. Despite its general lack of organization, overabundance of greasy food, and the buzzing of insects, it had been surprisingly pleasant thus far. Weiss had just sat down after deciding on food, and was mulling over her next moves.

 _At the very least, I can endeavor to improve my peers' perception of me considering the landing pad fiasco. Should I reach out to the red-cloaked girl?_ Weiss grimaced. _Probably a poor choice; she seems to have her mind made up about me._

“Attention, students!” Weiss turned to see Professor Goodwitch with a microphone, flanked by a group of eight students. “In addition to giving you all the opportunity to connect with your peers, we have brought in two teams of upperclassmen to answer questions you may have regarding your stay here. We have the top two second-year teams here today. I’ll leave the introductions to their team leaders.”

Weiss looked over the teams. The first team consisted of an absolutely gigantic Mistrali boy in a green shirt, a dark-skinned red-headed boy wearing a simple red tunic, a rabbit Faunus girl wearing a bizarre crop top and shorts over a bodysuit, and a brunette girl wearing a beret and sunglasses. The red and green colors were both muted, and the rest of the team’s clothing and accessories formed a tapestry of various shades of brown and black. _How boring_.

The other team was dressed much more colorfully, though they all wore matching vests, with a crudely drawn logo on the back. There was a spiky-haired girl in jeans, two boys wearing loose Northern Mistrali tunics (one in white and the other in red), and a feline Faunus girl wearing a traditional Southern Mistrali _haori_ and _hakama._

The brunette from the first team took the microphone from the professor. “Hello, fresh meat,” she sang saucily into the microphone. “I bet you’re all coming into the school thinking you’re hot stuff? Well, you’re wrong. _We’re_ the hottest thing around, and if you think you can top us, _I welcome you to try it_ ,” she finished maliciously, peering over her aviator sunglasses and sweeping the crowd with piercing brown eyes. “Anyway, so you may know the names of your betters, I’m Coco Adel, and this is Team CFVY.”

Coco gestured to each of her team members in turn: Velvet Scarlatina, the rabbit Faunus, who appeared flustered from the crowd’s attention; Fox Alistair, the dark-skinned boy, who just looked annoyed, and Yatsuhashi Daichi, the giant who seemed to embody “impassive.”

“Now that you’ve seen number one-” Coco broke off abruptly as the spiky-haired girl from the other team took the microphone from her and said brightly “-It’s time for number two! Hi!” Weiss and the rest of the crowd winced as the girl’s high-pitched voice rang through the speakers. Weiss noticed that some of the Faunus among the crowd reacted especially poorly.

“I’m Millie Suzaku and this is Team SALT!” Millie continued. “We may be number two, but don’t make any jokes about us! We’re plenty strong too!” As if to prove her point, Millie struck a pose and flexed. Much to Weiss’s dismay, she found her eyes drawn to the girl’s bulging arm muscles.

“Anyway, enough about me. Introduce yourselves, guys!” Millie said, handing the microphone to the boy in the red tunic.

“Thanks Millie,” he said with a light smile. “The name’s Ceru Ladon,” he paused a moment before adding: “and I’ll do you all a favor and introduce my partner Ater Tudines as well.” Ceru gestured at the other tunic-wearing boy on stage, who had yet to look up from the ground.

Ceru passed the mic to the final person. “Greetings, commoners. My name is Shirogane Amoy, but you will address me as Shirogane-sama,” the Faunus girl said, cold steel flashing in her slitted cat-eyes. “Should you fail to give my team the respect we deserve, I will not hesitate to-”

Shirogane’s speech was cut off by Millie poking her in the ribs, causing Shirogane to emit a high-pitched squeal. Millie took advantage of the momentary distraction to take the microphone back, which she promptly handed back to Ceru.

“Um, I guess there’s not really a format for this? Unless you guys were told something?” He directed his question to his fellow second years. Team CFVY gave an assortment of shaken heads and shrugs. “Well then, I guess we’ll just mingle. Don’t be afraid to say hello!” Ceru placed the microphone back onto its stand, and both teams left the stage and dispersed into the crowd.

_Shirogane, eh? I heard a wayward scion of that family left Mistral. I should introduce myself._

\----------------------------------

“You two are some of the in-need students, right?” 

Ren looked up from his food and was surprised to see the rabbit Faunus from the podium standing before him. _Velvet, I think her name was._

“And why are you asking?” Nora replied, managing to sound threatening despite her mouthful of pancakes. _I don’t even know how she got those._

“Oh, sorry!” Velvet responded uneasily, her obvious nerves betraying a bright Vacuan accent. “I’m an in-need student too. Just wanted to talk to some people like me - offer some reassurance, you know?”

“Okay! That’s cool,” Nora nodded before going back to ignoring Velvet in favor of carbs.

Ren rolled his eyes affectionately at Nora’s mercurial moods. “I’m Ren, and this is Nora.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Velvet,” she said with a soft smile, before noticing what Nora was eating. “Er - how did you get pancakes?”

“A girl has her ways,” Nora grinned. “Reassure us about what?”

Velvet recovered quickly from her bafflement. “Oh - just asking if you had concerns about fitting in, getting access to gear. Do you have weapons already?”

“Yes, but-” Ren started.

“They’re old.” Nora finished.

“That’s fine,” Velvet sighed in relief. “I was worried you might need temporary weapons issued for launch day tomorrow.”

“Launch day?” Ren and Nora said simultaneously.

Velvet looked surprised at their confusion, before realization dawned on her face. “Right. I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t know; it’s not on any of the materials. Tomorrow is when teams will be decided. Ozpin is somewhat” - Velvet paused, scratching her chin while she searched for the right word - “ _old-fashioned_ in his method of selection. There’s a cliff next to the Emerald Forest with launch pads. You get launched into the air and whoever you make eye contact with first after landing is your partner until you graduate. It’s an open secret, but if you’re aren’t well-connected, odds are you won’t know about it before getting here. I certainly didn’t.”

“ _No one is separating me from Ren,”_ Nora growled in Mistrali under her breath, sparks flickering off her fingertips.

“ _Nora, calm down. We just need to be able to find each other, right? When has that been a problem before?”_ Ren said, rubbing soothing circles into Nora’s back.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Velvet said nervously.

Nora visibly calmed at Ren’s reassurances. “It’s fine,” Nora said sadly.

“We’ve been through a lot together,” Ren added.

Velvet nodded. “May I ask how you two know each other?”

“Orphans from the same village,” Nora supplied mechanically.

“My condolences,” Velvet said with a frown, her ears beginning to curl anxiously.

“Hey! What are we all talking about?” A bright voice called from nearby. The group turned to see Millie approaching. “Oh gosh, _you_ have really big arms!” Millie pointed excitedly at Nora before slamming her elbow on the table as she sat down. “Arm-wrestle me.”

Nora’s competitive spirit burst through her momentary funk. Her blue eyes lit up as she sized up her new rival. “It would be my pleasure,” she grinned, moving her pancakes out of harm's way before slamming her own elbow on the table.

“Is she okay?” Velvet asked shyly, pulling Ren’s attention away from the commotion.

“She will be. Separation is a...difficult subject for us.”

“I can understand that. Sounds like you two have been together for a while.”

“Depends on the meaning of together.”

Velvet’s brow furrowed slightly for a moment as she processed that, before her face flushed with understanding. “Oh! Right. Well, that gives the fond looks slightly more context. I wanted to ask, were you two speaking in Mistrali earlier?”

“Our first language.”

“Is your given name Ren, or is it your family name?”

“Given, but don’t worry. I grew up mostly among Northern Mistrali - I’m used to being called Ren. I don’t find it offensive.”

Velvet sighed in relief. _She seems to get nervous a lot._ “Oh, thank you. Being in close proximity to Shirogane-san has made me more aware of these things.”

“Do the top two teams interact a lot?”

Velvet shrugged. “It’s more personal than professional. Yatsu and Ater like to hang out together, though I have no idea what they like to talk about, and Shirogane-san will take any opportunity to try and one up my girlfr- er, Coco. And you’ve seen how Millie is: we’re all dragged into her flow at some point.”

Ren chuckled as Nora complained about losing the bout with Millie only to immediately challenge her to a different contest. “I understand completely.” He paused for a moment. “Is dating within teams really that common?”

Velvet spluttered for a moment, nearly hiding her entire face behind her ears and hands before straightening up and regaining her composure. “Erm, it depends. Sometimes people prefer to only interact with their teams at arm’s length, and there are rare occasions of outright hostility. The culture is probably different in the other academies, too. But in my personal experience, when you place a bunch of physically-fit college kids in close proximity with each other in life or death situations, things tend to happen. So I’m guessing you don’t have a problem with us?” she finished with a shy smile.

“Nothing of the sort, just sympathy for having rambunctious partners.”

“By the rabbit, good luck to us both,” Velvet sighed as the two of them watched Nora and Millie attempt to climb a tree with only one arm.

\----------------------------------

“Hey, blondie,” Coco trilled as she approached Yang. Yang was intrigued by the way she radiated charisma and authority. It was _very_ alluring. _This must be what Aunt Glynda was like as a student._ “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Coco continued, smiling.

“Same to you,” Yang grinned back, shaking hands with team CFVY’s leader. “Aunt Glynda complains about you every holiday.”

“Pfft, that’s nothing. She complains about _you_ every Friday at the leaders’ meeting,” Coco fired back.

“I’m just more talented, I guess,” Yang replied, shifting to a more assertive stance. Coco moved to match her. _Excellent._

“We’ll see if your bark is the same as your bite, freshman,” Coco said, finally peering over the top of her sunglasses to meet Yang’s eyes. _Aunt Glynda wasn’t kidding when she said the girl was spicy._

“Coco!” Both girls turned to look at a bizarre scene. Millie, Velvet, and a boy and a girl Yang didn’t recognize were tangled up in tree branches. Both Velvet and the boy were hanging by their ankles, upside down.

“We’ll continue this later,” Coco said, flicking her fingers between her eyes and Yang’s in a gesture that clearly meant "I'm watching you."

As she left, Yang could hear her mutter: “Goddammit, Millie. What did you do to my bunny?”

 _So the second-year queen has a weakness for shy brunettes? Definitely_ _won’t be bringing that up next time,_ Yang thought with a wolfish grin.

\----------------------------------

“What are you guys talking about?” Penny asked. She had thought talking to the two boys would be intimidating, as both were much larger than her. But something about them felt inviting.

“Yatsu was asking me about the latest Silver Plath book,” the shorter boy responded. Everyone around was shorter than Yatsuhashi, so perhaps that was not an apt comparison. This boy was still tall, but his most remarkable feature was his frankly absurd muscle mass. Penny wasn’t quite sure how human muscle could be that tightly corded, and were she interested in men, she’d probably be turned on by them.

Penny did a quick mental search for information on Silver Plath so that she could join in the conversation, and found something odd almost immediately. “Didn’t she die 10 years ago?”

The boy nodded slowly, “She did, but they’re still compiling scraps she wrote beforehand that she never published. They’re running out, though,” he finished with a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry, Ater,” Yatsuhashi responded, placing a large hand on Ater’s shoulder. “Perhaps you will find a new author.”

“But I probably won’t,” Ater’s shoulders slumped. “Who else will write that clearly about the interconnectedness of death, femininity, and Faunus rights?” He seemed to withdraw into himself after posing this question, his eyes becoming vacant.

“Do not worry, he will recover,” Yatsuhashi said to Penny after a moment. “This is but his second bout of this today.”

“Why does he keep reading it if it makes him feel like this?” Penny was confused. She understood how human depression worked clinically, but the intricacies of it in practice were beyond her.

“He likes poetry,” Yatsuhashi said with a shrug. “He will find a new author eventually.”

“Is that the recreational pursuit he chose?” Penny asked. Yatsuhashi responded with a nod.

Penny knew about the Huntsmen Pursuit Mandate, or the “hobby rule” as it was more commonly referred to. While it didn’t strictly force huntsmen to pursue personal interests, it _strongly_ encouraged them to do so, primarily as a method of coping and personal connection; it also occasionally had the side benefit of generating subject expertise that could be useful for later missions. Overall, the initiative had been linked to decreases in suicides and burnout among new and veteran huntsmen alike.

“Mine is baking,” Yatsuhashi added. Penny was quite amused by the image of the large boy in a frilly pink apron making sweets, before her artificial stomach growled embarrassingly. “That is most people’s reaction,” the boy added with a smile.

“Sorry,” Penny said, flushing slightly. _Why did Father even add that function!?_

“Don’t be, he is really that good,” Ater said, emerging from his daze. “Actually, can I make a request, Yatsu?”

“Certainly, friend.”

“Can you make those gingersnap cookies again?” Ater asked with watery eyes.

“I cannot say no to that,” Yatsuhashi responded. Penny could see the slightest hint of a blush on his cheeks. _Oh, I see._

“I’ll leave you to your book discussion, then,” Penny said with a small grin. “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me,”

“It was my pleasure,” Yatsuhashi said, shaking her hand.

“Don’t be a stranger, there’s too many of them in the world already,” Ater added, waving Penny off.

\----------------------------------

“ _Greetings, Shirogane-Sama_ ,” Weiss said in Mistrali, bowing stiffly from the waist.

“ _What excellent manners you have, Schnee-Sama_ ,” Shirogane replied in kind, returning the courtesy. “Though if you prefer, we could converse in Sanet. I understand my mother tongue is not the easiest to use.”

“It was no trouble at all,” Weiss replied. “Either is acceptable.”

“Then _I_ would prefer Sanet, if you please. Unfortunately, my Mistrali is somewhat out of practice here in Vale.”

Weiss blinked at the insinuation. “Do you not return home often?”

The cordial atmosphere Weiss was accustomed to when speaking to other nobles vanished under the sudden frigid glare of the Faunus girl. “No,” she said curtly.

“My apologies,” Weiss quickly said, backtracking. She understood the desire to limit contact with family - that’s why she herself was here, after all. Weiss couldn’t well imagine a situation where she would respond positively to the mention of her father or mother. “I did not mean to offend.”

Shirogane sighed, her hackles lowering slightly. “It is not your fault. Family is a complicated subject for me.”

“I...can understand that,” Weiss replied, before adding with a degree of hesitation: “Though, if I may be so bold as to ask?”

Shirogane regarded her for a moment, her eyes and ears twitching as she scanned Weiss’s face. “You may,” she said warily.

“I had heard that only one member of your family had left Mistral, but that was the second son. Are you-” Weiss was cut off by growling from the Shirogane scion. _How very uncouth. I thought as nobles we should be above such_ animal _instincts._

“He is of no relation to me,” Shirogane spat, her claws beginning to shimmer and lengthen, glinting dangerously in the afternoon light. Weiss was rapidly reconsidering her blase attitude towards the animalistic posturing. She felt her breath catch in her throat and her pulse hammer at the mesmerizing gleam of the metal claws, which her brain distantly reminded her were the Shirogane family semblance. 

Shirogane stepped closer to Weiss, but before she could say anything further, the pair were distracted by a nearby call for help.

“Coco!”

The tension between Weiss and Shirogane broke, and they both turned their heads to see a group of four seemingly stuck in a tree. She saw that two of the number were the poor students she had noticed earlier. _Perhaps I need to reconsider my assessment of their virtues._

“You will not mention this subject again in my presence,” Shirogane said coldly, pointing a clawed finger in between Weiss’s eyes. She retracted her claws, resumed her poised aristocratic manner, and bowed. “I thank you for our talk, Schnee-sama, but I must be off to other business.”

With that, the Shirogane walked away briskly, calling out to the leader of Team CFVY with a mocking tone.

_I’m not sure what to make of this. Another noble from another land, also estranged from her family? I should have been able to make progress with our acquaintance, but I just seemed to irritate her with my questions._

_Perhaps it was just not meant to be._

_But it matters not. I will not be cowed by my...several diplomatic failures._

_I did see Pyrrha Nikos earlier. She should be more agreeable than the others I have spoken to._

\----------------------------------

“Penny for your thoughts?”  
  
Ruby looked up from her notebook to spot one of the second-years smiling at her from across the table. _Ceru Ladon, was it?_ “Not many people bring homework to the freshman picnic,” he continued.

“Not everyone is keen on socializing,” Ruby replied flatly. _I guess I’ll finish this chapter eventually,_ she thought. She placed her pencil down to appraise Ceru. The boy’s posture was warm and inviting, but Ruby saw a cold intelligence behind his eyes. “What do you want?”

“Can’t an upperclassmen come talk to an antisocial student without having ulterior motivations?” 

Ruby gave him a look. 

“Alright, fine,” he said, his warm demeanor dropping as he more openly eyed Ruby. “Look, the whole brooding anti-hero thing is fine in combat school, but here at the academy, it isn’t going to fly for very long. You can hate people all you want, but you _cannot_ bring your attitude into the field. Understand?”

“Completely,” Ruby responded, keeping eye contact the entire time. _I will not be intimidated_.

“Good!” Ceru’s face softened and he regarded Ruby like she was a repentant child. “Looking forward to how you turn out, Ruby Branwen.” He stood up and ruffled Ruby’s hair for good measure as he walked back into the crowd.

_Ugh. Can I just read my book in peace?_

\----------------------------------

“Excuse me, Pyrrha Nikos?” Weiss asked politely. The girl in question turned around, and Weiss could see Pyrrha trading her previous relaxed smile for a more guarded one. _What am I doing wrong?_ Weiss wondered, not for the first time today. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Weiss Schnee,” she forged on anyway, adding a small curtsy.

“Hello, Weiss. Have you been enjoying orientation so far? I’ve never had so many opportunities to talk to fellow trainees before.”

“It’s certainly been enlightening,” Weiss agreed. “I was just wondering something. Why did you choose to come to Beacon? You must have had your pick of academies in Mistral.”

“Looking for a change of pace, I suppose,” Pyrrha said thoughtfully. “I felt I had grown too accustomed to Mistrali combat, and wanted to broaden my horizons. How about yourself? Surely you had a similar situation in Atlas?”

Now it was Weiss’s turn to appear thoughtful. “Somewhat similar, yes. Avoiding claims of nepotism, among other reasons. A Schnee must forge her own path.” Pyrrha looked satisfied by this explanation, at which Weiss inwardly relaxed.

“There you are, Weiss!” Penny’s voice called from nearby. Weiss groaned and turned to face the source of many of her frustrations in the past months.

“Hello, Penny,” Weiss responded curtly.

“Penny, I presume?” Pyrrha asked, her earlier warm smile back upon her face as she shook hands with the android.

“Penny Polendina, at your service!” Penny responded with a salute and a smile. Pyrrha chuckled.

“My name is Pyrrha Nikos.” 

At this, Penny’s eyes lit up. “I love your cereal!”

Pyrrha looked both shocked and amused. “ _My_ cereal?”

“Pumpkin Pete’s. Unless I am mistaken, you are often on the box, so I described it as ‘your cereal,’ ” Penny rambled, her words jumbling closer together and her voice becoming smaller as she spoke. “Was that wrong?”

Pyrrha laughed again. “No, I’ve just never heard it described that way before.” Pyrrha turned towards Weiss. “How do you two know each other?”

“I’m her companion!” Penny said brightly, before both she and Weiss blushed deeply.

“Oh really?” Pyrrha said with a questioning eyebrow.

“She has problems with phrasing,” Weiss said through gritted teeth, willing her flush to go away. “My father was worried about my well-being while at Beacon and assigned me a _bodyguard_.” Despite her best efforts to remain neutral in her tone, she could see both of them flinch at the venom with which she said the word.

Before either of her conversation partners could respond to the shift in mood, a fourth person inserted themself into the scene.

“Hello ladies,” a deep, sleazy-sounding voice said to announce its presence. Weiss turned, and was not surprised by the identity of its owner.

“Hello, Cardin,” Weiss spat.

“Weiss,” Cardin held up his hands placatingly. “Is that any way to treat an old friend?”

“We’ve never been friends, Cardin,” Weiss responded back, her body tense.

“Well, we can certainly fix that, you know,” Cardin moved his gaze to Pyrrha and Penny. “And who are you lovely ladies? The name’s Cardin. Cardin Winchester.”

“Charmed,” Pyrrha said with a grimace.

“I’m a lesbian,” Penny squeaked as she tried to hide behind Pyrrha.

“Well, I’m sure that’s because you’ve never been with a _real_ man,” Cardin moved closer to Pyrrha and Penny with a slimy grin, only to be stopped by a shining white glyph. _Despite agreeing with him on the subject of Penny’s abnormality,_ _I will not allow such behavior in my presence. It’s unbecoming._

“Back. Off. Cardin,” Weiss snarled. “I’ve had the displeasure of your acquaintance for years, and I’m loath to allow you to inflict it on others. Forgive me the discourtesy, but you are leaving.” Weiss used a small amount of her emergency gravity dust to change the glyph from a wall to a vector type, launching Cardin over a nearby hedge.

Weiss turned back to the other girls with a satisfied smirk on her face, only to notice Penny and Pyrrha staring back at her with shock on their features.

Weiss sighed. _I have continued to act un-ladylike. Will I make_ any _positive impressions today?_ “I’m leaving to find Professor Goodwitch and report his behavior. It was a pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha. I look forward to our schooling together.”

“Likewise,” Pyrrha replied softly, waving goodbye to Weiss as she left in a huff with Penny following close behind her.

\----------------------------------

“So, worried about anything?” Blake looked up to see the second-year boy named Fox sitting down across from her.

“No,” Blake said promptly, standing up from her chair and walking away from the table.

\----------------------------------

“Talk to the underclassmen, she said. Show them disabilities aren’t a weakness, she said. It’ll be easy, she said.” Fox muttered to himself, spinning a fork between his fingers. “Why do I ever listen to Coco?”

“Because she’s a good leader and she’s helped you many times?” Yatsu said from behind Fox.

“Yeah, that’s a good reason,” Fox said with a deep exhale. He paused for a moment, before adding: “Got any shortbread on you?”

Yatsu sighed before reaching into his pocket. “All people ever want are the cookies.”

\----------------------------------

Blake walked away from the boy without a real destination in mind. She just wanted to stay away from anyone who wouldn't be her future teammates.

_The fewer people I have to lie to, the easier it’ll be to keep the charade going._

Blake wasn’t under the impression that she would be able to hide being a Faunus her entire four years. That was silly.

No, what she wanted to hide was everything else. The White Fang and her family, mostly. When people finally discovered she was a Faunus, odds are they’d accept that as the reason she had been so cagey and move on. And if not, Blake could always just transfer schools. Bon would definitely be more accepting, even if Beacon _was_ the best option for career choices later on in life. But she’d take anything over being discovered by the authorities, or worse, her Fang ex-brethren.

She wandered through the crowd of fellow students, looking for a place without people. _Gah, all the other antisocial people took the good spots already!_

She turned to lock eyes with Velvet, the rabbit Faunus from Team CFVY. Velvet shot Blake a very knowing look before returning to her conversation.

 _Shit shit shit shit shit._ Blake redoubled her walking pace, making a beeline to sit under a shady tree on a small incline at the edge of the picnic grounds. She took some deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

 _You_ know _it’s just a superstition, Blake. Rabbit Faunus can’t actually read minds. They just have good hearing._ Blake swore under her breath.

“You doing okay down there?” said a high-pitched voice from above. Blake jumped and fell into a defensive crouch on instinct, eyes searching the tree for the mysterious presence.

_What the fuck?! I couldn’t even smell them! How did a human get the drop on me?_

A small sigh came from the branches, and Blake finally pin-pointed the person’s location. Nestled right up against the tree trunk sat the red-cloaked girl from the landing pad, her grey eyes glinting in the darkness the foliage provided.

“What are you doing up there?” Blake asked after a short pause, squinting up at the girl in the darkness.

“The same thing you are,” the girl replied, her gaze never wavering from Blake’s own. _There’s something about those eyes._ “Avoiding other people. Kept trying to read my book, but people kept trying to talk to me. I’m not really in the mood for reading now, so I snuck up here to people-watch.”

“People watch?” Blake asked, fighting the urge to tilt her head in confusion. _The girl said it like it’s a_ thing _. Is this some weird human idea I don’t know about?_

“You can learn a lot about people from watching the way they behave, even from afar. I suppose the more technical term is cold-reading or something similar.” Blake could see the girl shrug in the darkness.

“I’m familiar with the practice, just not your term for it.” Blake nodded in understanding, relaxing slightly. “And as you said, I came here for solitude. Since this tree is occupied, I will find another,” she said with a huff, stretching slightly.

“I can leave-”

“It’s fine, you were here first.” She began walking away before adding: “Have fun, I guess,” with a small wave behind her.

\----------------------------------

Ruby watched the girl leave before sighing deeply.

 _Stupid idiot. Why did you transform back? She could have seen you do it. She must have had really good vision to spot me in the branches. And those eyes-_ Ruby suppressed a shudder as she remembered the piercing amber glare.

 _The girls here are going to be the death of me,_ Ruby thought with a groan, transforming back into her red and black avian form.

She ruffled her feathers, working out the kinks in her muscles before leaping into the early evening sky.

_I’ve got time before curfew. Let’s see what the rest of the forest looks like._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First retcon of the series! I’m really hoping I won’t have to do these often, but:  
> I went back and changed Jaune’s job description in Chapter 6 to say that he would be working with Professor Peach on groundskeeping instead of Professor Port. I realized that would be more in line with their subject matters. Really it’s just so Pyrrha can lust after the hunky blond gardener, okay?
> 
> Classes! I imagine the classes are set up with streamlined 1st, 2nd and 3rd level core concepts, as well as 2nd and 3rd level specialty classes. Instead of having 4th-level academic courses, I figure fourth years would largely spend their time on taking more 3rd level classes, TA-ing, independent research (if they want), and practicum classes.
> 
> The team combat class will be taught by Glynda, and the survival class by an OC!
> 
> On that note, I have created a bunch more professors! It was quite the undertaking, mostly because of coming up with names, but I now have a big old list of them and their subjects.  
> The ones that will be mentioned and likely appear in the story are the heads of their departments, since they teach the freshman classes at Beacon. They're introduced to the students in-world but off-screen during Yang’s POV segment in this chapter.  
> As Beacon is largely about quality over quantity, and based on my understanding of their class size, each department will still be rather small - between 1 and 5 professors.
> 
> Do people want information on the professors as they are mentioned or as they actually appear?
> 
> And get-to-know-you picnics! Another college thing to have people interact!
> 
> Say hello to my OC team! I hope to have them appear a bit more after this, as I put some work into making them, but I might just write a side project for them sometime. Their descriptions are in a comment below as I ran out of room here!
> 
> How Mistral works  
> Northern Mistral is more Greek-inspired, purely because that’s where Argus is, and Southern Mistral is more Asian-inspired because it seems like that’s where more of the Asian-inspired city names are in canon (I think).  
> I’m mostly going to be sticking to Japanese names for things that are Southern Mistrali, just because I am more familiar with those, but I will use other East/Southeast Asian names for things that are applicable (like Grimm types or clothing, for example).  
> Mistrali as a whole is one unified language, but much like Sanet (the lingua franca of Remnant as a whole, but more specifically the language of Sanus), it will have dialects and accents to it. I imagine it as character-based, though more simplified like hiragana, from the “Greek” influence.  
> Because it won’t be based on a direct real-world equivalent like Cymrish is (Welsh), it is unlikely there will be as many examples of it because I can’t be assed to con-lang.
> 
> So Velvet talking about launch day came from me realizing that most of the students sans Jaune didn’t really seem that surprised from the revelation that they were going to be thrown off a cliff. I imagine in canon that’s to emphasize how much Jaune is a fish out of water, but here it’s to emphasize the lack of institutional knowledge that poor/first-gen students experience at real colleges.
> 
> Also Nora is just a blast to write and probably has a Hammer Space (TM) solely dedicated to pancakes.
> 
> Millie’s a lot smarter than she seems.
> 
> Having learned from some research that Glynda apparently really likes Team CFVY in canon, I immediately put in a section where Coco and Yang sized each other up.
> 
> Didn’t think I would be shipping the two artsy himbos (Yatsu and Ater), but once again, the gays got away from me.
> 
> Why is Weiss so bad at social interaction?
> 
> Bon is another college in this universe! I found it weird that the kingdoms only funneled their huntsmen through 3 or 4 academies to one university, so there’s going to be smaller colleges around! I won’t be mentioning ALL of them, because much like with the teachers, there would actually be a lot and I can't be bothered, but I’ll mention some of the more important ones.
> 
> In this universe, the canon schools will be like the Ivy League of their respective kingdoms: big, expensive, and the best overall for both learning skills and quality education. There will be other general colleges as well as what are essentially technical schools like MIT that deal with more specialized topics. One of those will be mentioned in the next chapter, so I’ll explain that then.
> 
> Bon is basically what amounts to a HBCU (historically Black college/university) in Vale: it’s a school that’s predominantly staffed and attended by Faunus. Despite Vale being more outwardly accepting than the other kingdoms, it’s still seen as a lesser option.
> 
> Ruby and Blake have very similar energy at this point in the story, and that energy is “go away.”


	9. Launch day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Launch day finally arrives, and tentative alliances are created.

Nora was  _ excited.  _

Granted, that was how she felt most of the time. After all, the world was full of dark and gloomy things, so why bother being one yourself?

She knew she had  _ issues _ , but didn’t really like interrupting the flow of her day to interact with them. That’s what Therapy Time (TM) with Ren - and maybe future teammates and friends - was for. 

Speaking of future friends, she’d looked for the masked red-haired girl during the picnic, but hadn’t seen her. Weird. As evening fell and the first-years began settling back into the auditorium, she’d tried to keep an eye out for the girl. She’d been just about to give up and go to bed when she finally spotted the isolated dark patch of the girl’s cape on the other side of the auditorium. And now, Nora Valkyrie was going to make her move.

“Hello!” she rang out, strolling confidently up to the red-haired girl with Ren at her side.  _ Though now that I’m closer, her hair looks like it might actually be black instead? Cool! _ “What are you reading?”

The girl sighed and placed her book down, her silver eyes moving upwards to glare at the approaching pair. “A book on Beacon’s CAD software - something the universe apparently doesn’t want me to read.”

“ _ Nora, I told you we should have waited until she was done _ ,” Ren said in Mistrali.

“ _But she just looks so cool, Ren!_ ” Nora whined, her shoulders slumping dramatically.

“Wait. You think I’m cool?” the girl said slowly, her gaze flickering between the two.

Nora snorted. “Uh, yeah! Your whole  _ thing _ -” she accentuated the word with an encompassing gesture towards Ruby “-just screams that you're experienced, and we’re kinda new to the whole ‘huntsmen’ thing, so we figured talking to you would be a good idea.”

Ren discreetly nudged her with his elbow, and Nora coughed before adding: “Also, making new friends is nice.” Ren’s smile of approval warmed Nora’s heart as she waited for the girl’s response.

The girl sighed deeply before scratching the back of her head and muttering something to herself in a language Nora neither understood nor recognized. She stopped after a moment, shrugged, and stuck out her hand. “I’m Ruby Brawnen. I’m guessing your names are Ren and Nora?”

“They are. You know Mistrali?” Ren asked, shaking the proffered hand. Nora followed his lead.

“Not as much as I’d like. I’m planning to be a solo huntress, after all.”

“Oh, that’s so  _ cool _ ! A lone masked hero against the darkness!” Nora could just picture it, Ruby’s mask on her face as she rode off into the sunset to go save another town. “Ren and I are kinda boring by comparison. We’re looking to be village guards.”

“It may not have thrills, Nora, but it is rewarding,” Ren gently reminded her.

“Why aren’t you two at Torch, then? Their guard program is better,” Ruby asked with a quizzical look.

“Scholarships,” Nora said with a grimace. “We could only get Beacon-specific ones.”

“Torch doesn’t have as much money available for scholarships, and we didn’t qualify for the most highly-paying ones there. We had better luck here, though; we got a full ride to Beacon based on our skills. If we’d struck out, we would’ve had to choose a different profession. We couldn’t burden our family further,” Ren explained.

“Big family?”

“Foster family, but yes,” Nora said, and cringed internally as she awaited the awkward, fumbling pity that usually accompanied that revelation. But when she looked up after a moment, all she saw was Ruby looking back at her with a softer, more empathetic expression.

“Do you have your own weapons?” Ruby asked after the short pause.

“Hand-me-downs,” Nora answered quickly.

Ruby rubbed her chin in thought. “Could I see them at some point?” Nora and Ren looked at each other, quickly having a wordless conversation. Ruby interrupted by adding: “I’m a journeyman forgemaster, and weaponsmithing is one of my hobbies. For a small fee, I could upgrade them for you. If you’d like.”

“That sounds perfect!” Nora squealed, rushing over to their bags and carefully pulling out her weapon before sprinting back. “Here’s mine,” she said, handing over the silver hammer.

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting to do it right  _ now.  _ But I suppose I can give them a once-over. Name?”

“Magnhild,” Nora replied proudly.

Ruby stood, hefting the hammer in her arms. She took some small swings with it and then began to examine the weapon as a whole. “Well, she looks well taken care of. How old is she?”

“Um-” Nora struggled to remember for a moment before turning to Ren with a pleading look.  _ He’s better with numbers. _

Ren didn’t disappoint. “Our foster mother used it before she retired early. It’s around 50 years old.”

“Does she use a phase 3 mechashift matrix? Has she been retrofitted at any point?” Ruby asked, only to be met with blank stares from the both of them. She sighed, handing the weapon back to Nora. “Maybe I should take some time and inspect her fully later before I start thinking up any upgrades. I don’t want to base my ideas on a surface-level first impression that could be wrong, or incomplete.”

“Makes sense,” Nora replied with a shrug, lovingly gathering Magnhild back into her arms and half-turning to go. Ren cleared his throat meaningfully, and Nora added, “Sorry for disturbing your reading.” 

“It’s okay. It’s just something I’ll have to get used to here at school, I suppose,” Ruby replied with a small smirk. “I’ll see you two around?”

“Definitely!” Nora said with a beaming smile.

As they walked away, Nora hummed a lilting tune to herself. 

_ I was right. She is pretty cool. _

\--------------------------------------

“Who ya texting, Blondie?” Keppel’s scratchy voice said from behind Yang’s ear. Yang turned and lightly punched the boy in the shoulder.

“Don’t sneak up on me, you ass,” Yang chuckled. 

The avian Faunus rested back on his suitcase, casually flexing his talons as he stretched. “You’re usually not so attentive to your  _ liaisons _ ,” Keppel continued with a smirk. “So? What gives?”

“Not really your place to judge me, feathers,” Yang shot back. “When was your last date?”

“May 5th, two years ago,” Persi chimed in dryly, barely looking up from her phone.

“It was with that ghastly Citrine boy as well,” Laurel said, her eyes fixed on her compact as she removed her makeup for the day.

“Dunkel, you got anything to say about my love life, since  _ apparently  _ we’re all pitching in ideas?” Keppel asked the other boy in their group sarcastically.

“Dude, you interrupted me. I was having such a good daydream and now I gotta start all over,” the pale boy replied, brushing his bangs back over his eyes.

“Uuuuuuuuugh,” Keppel grunted, falling backwards onto the suitcases dramatically.

Yang let out a small chuckle at her friend's antics before looking back at her scroll. Within a minute or so, she got a reply.

Yang: You guys free on Friday? Haven’t been out on the town for a hot minute

Mel: We have a shift Friday night

Mil: But Saturday would work for us. Where?

Yang: I’m thinking the usual.

Mel: 9pm?

Yang: Yeah

Mil: See ya then <3

Mel: <3

Yang paused momentarily, looking down at her phone. She couldn’t believe it! For a moment, she almost wanted to continue the conversation beyond setting up the date.

But what was the point? You get the number, you go out, you have sex, repeat. End of discussion. Getting feelings involved was pointless.

It was just another liability, another  _ weakness. _

Yang couldn’t handle any more of them.

\--------------------------------------

Blake was not a morning person.

_ Why do we have to do this on top of a windy cliff?  _ Blake thought, not for the first time, as the gathered first-years assembled in a rough semicircle around Professors Ozpin and Glynda as the two adults stood with their backs to the cliff’s edge.

“Today, you will take the first step in becoming huntsmen and huntresses,” Ozpin began, gesturing towards the vast forest behind him.

Blake eyed the conspicuous grey panels surrounding the cliff’s edge with suspicion.  _ I’m not sure I like the sound of this ‘first step,’  _ she thought nervously. She checked that her ear ribbon was still secure after the wind picked up yet again.

Ozpin continued after taking a careful sip from his lidded mug. “We here at Beacon believe that adapting to unforeseen circumstances and working with unlikely allies are key to the success of a huntsman, and thus I give you our initiation ceremony.

“Your goal is simple: you will work with a partner to retrieve a relic from a temple hidden in the forest and bring it here. There is no time limit, but I ask that you act with some degree of haste.

“Your partner is determined by the first person you make eye contact with upon landing. Please act with integrity. During your time at this academy - and indeed, throughout your career as a huntsman - you will have to work with those you personally find distasteful, whether by personality, acts or politics. If your partner today falls into that category, consider this your first opportunity to begin developing this valuable skill.

“Nevertheless, if it makes today’s tasks easier for you, keep in mind that these partners may be temporary. You must keep them for two months at a minimum, during which time you will train, study, and live together, along with another pair. But what happens after those two months will be covered during your first week of classes.

“In sum, do not worry too much about these preliminary placements. Teams can fluctuate, and these first efforts are merely meant to allow both the faculty and your fellow students to connect with you personally and to evaluate your skills professionally.”

Glynda coughed politely and met Ozpin’s gaze.

Ozpin sighed and stamped his cane on the ground with a small smile. “I suppose I’ve said enough about why you’re doing this. I believe one of the best methods to learn is by experience. Each of you, step forward onto these platforms.”

Blake didn’t move at first, watching the other students carefully. She saw the Schnee exhibit a similar degree of caution, but the red-haired girl from the tree and her blonde sister strode confidently towards the plates, though Blake didn’t miss the loaded looks they shot at each other.

Following their lead, Blake took a steadying breath and stepped onto a pad of her own. On her right was a tall red-headed boy with faint scratches on his face; on her left, a small red-haired girl talking animatedly to the Mistrali boy the next spot down.

_ Let’s see what all the fuss is about,  _ Blake thought as she got into an athletic stance like the others assembled did.

The launchpad activated with a soft “pock.” She blinked. When she opened her eyes, she was airborne.

_ Time to see if I can land on my feet, I guess. _

\--------------------------------------

Ruby took to the skies with joy, gliding comfortably along with bursts of her semblance before spotting a perfect touchdown point: a large oak tree.

She pulled out Crescent Rose and shifted it into its scythe form, wrapping the blade around a smaller branch to bleed her momentum.

Once enough rotations had passed, she dislodged the blade from the tree with a tug, launching herself like she was jumping off a swingset before landing on the ground.

She had already scoped out the forest the night before, and had even watched from a treetop perch as the professors placed the relics, so she quickly got her bearings using the sun. She slipped on her Grimm mask and set off in the right direction, not caring about how much noise she was making.

_ This mission doesn’t include stealth, and I can easily best any Grimm in the forest.  _

_ Plus, this’ll make it easier to find a teammate while I move though,  _ she mentally added with a shrug.  _ Two birds, one stone, eh? _

\--------------------------------------

When Velvet had said “launch day,” Ren thought he knew what to expect. But the height of the cliff involved and the lack of a warning were left out of her explanation, leading to several seconds of air time where Ren fought the urge to scratch his chin in thought at his predicament.

_ The cliff was a lot higher than we anticipated, and I don’t have enough wind Dust to slow my descent-  _

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud thunderclap coming from his right, accompanied by a pink blur slamming into him, sending him into a somewhat dizzying spin.

“Hey, Ren,” Nora said with a cheeky grin after she straightened the two of them out of their spiral with a smaller clap of air.

“Nora, I thought we said not to use Storm for this.”

“I used some wind Dust to disguise it, so it’s fine!” Nora let out another stream of air, slowing their descent to a smooth glide and landing them gracefully on the ground. “And it’s not like anyone’s around to pay super close attention to it.”

Ren gave Nora a look. “It’s extremely loud and your eyes get pink flames coming out of them.”

“Pffft, it’s not like Semblances aren’t super weird already,” Nora waved off Ren’s concern. “This was important,” she added softly, grabbing Ren’s hand.

Ren allowed a small smile onto his face for a moment. “Alright. Let’s get to work,” he said, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Nora struck a dynamic pose. “Team Sloth is on the case!”

\--------------------------------------

Yang whooped with excitement as the wind tore past her.

_ Now this is more like it! _

Yang’s heart sang at the freedom of the sky, and she used some carefully-timed gauntlet blasts to prolong her time airborne. Yet gravity insistently pulled her back down, back down to earth. Not for the first time, she bitterly thought about how the rest of her family could fly - well, Summer  _ used  _ to be able to - and she was earthbound.

Yang landed on the ground with a mighty crash, forming a neat little impact crater.  _ I don’t care if it hurts my knees, little miss know-it-all Ruby. Superhero landing is fun. _

The dust kicked up by the landing began to settle. Yang stood and took a couple moments to shake out her body, warming up her shoulders while thinking over her next move.

She spotted some movement through the thinning curtain of dust and chuckled to herself.  _ Let’s see what luck has given me. _

A strong breeze revealed a tall red-headed woman, clad in red and bronze armor. Her long hair was in a sleek braid that encircled her head, held tightly in place with metal pins; despite the recent landing she must have made, not a single hair was loose.

“Hello again,” Pyrrha said calmly, looking Yang up and down.  _ Is she checking me out? _ “Looks like we’re partners.”

“Yup,” Yang said, popping the ‘P’ before internally grimacing.  _ That’s one of Summer’s habits _ . “I don’t think I got your full name last time.”

Pyrrha looked away and answered hesitantly. “Pyrrha Nikos.” She looked back at Yang, and almost seemed to be expecting something.

Yang, for the life of her, couldn’t figure out what it was. “Yang Branwen, though you already know that,” she said with a smirk, holding her hand out.

A hint of color rose in Pyrrha’s cheeks and she reciprocated, shaking Yang’s hand firmly.  _ Nice grip. _

A nearby roar shook them out of the moment.  _ A quarter-century Ursa from the sound of it. Time to see what this new partner is made of. _

“Duty calls.” Yang summoned up her aura, wreathing her body in its yellow glow as red bled into her lilac eyes.

“Indeed,” Pyrrha replied with an almost refined air. She drew her own weapon, a sword and spear set. With a nod, the pair dove through the brush together.

\--------------------------------------

Weiss  _ was not _ enjoying herself.

She was used to early morning meetings and training, so that did not factor into her ire.

No, it was more that a simple initiation ceremony involved  _ being launched off of a cliff. _ And what was this piffle about partners? It was almost like the Headmaster didn’t care about efficiency in the slightest.

However, as much as Weiss wanted to continue to grumble and pick apart the poor reasoning behind this exercise, the inevitability of hitting the ground was beginning to intrude on her thoughts.

_ No matter,  _ Weiss thought with a huff, calling forth numerous hard-light glyphs in front of her in the form of a slide.  _ While the form is childish, it does the job well enough. _

Weiss decelerated smoothly and alighted on the ground with an easy grace. She took a second to smooth out any wrinkles in her outfit, then flipped out a compact mirror and adjusted her tiara.  _ If this sort of physical disturbance will be happening on a regular basis, as Winter intimated, I’m going to need to rethink my clothing choices slightly. _

Of course, she would not be caught dead without some panache in her combat uniform - she was a Schnee, after all. But anything prone to ruffling would likely need to be cut, as its potential aesthetic value would not be worth the degree to which it would inhibit her performance.

Satisfied with her grooming, she closed her compact and withdrew Gladiris from its sheath just in time to hear a great crashing noise coming towards her. She spun her weapon into its staff form and adopted a defensive pose.

_ Whatever is coming, it’s coming fast. _

\--------------------------------------

Ruby burst through the underbrush and, before she knew it, found herself staring into a pair of ice-blue eyes.

_ Shit. This little princess is just going to slow me down. _

“Good morning, your highness,” Ruby said with a sarcastic tone, hooking Crescent Rose into the ground behind her to slow herself to a stop. “My name is Ruby Branwen. It seems we’re partners now,” she added, pulling her mask up to the top of her head to reveal her face.

“It appears so,” Weiss replied, eyeing Ruby carefully. “I would apologize for how our meeting went on the launch pad, but your subsequent conduct showed you to be entirely without manners, so I shan’t.”

“Don’t need courtly airs in huntsman work,” Ruby said with a shrug, already trying to regain her bearings and calculating in her head roughly where she thought they were in relation to the temple. “Come on, we’re burning daylight.” 

She pulled her mask back down and was about to leap off the ground before the little princess spluttered, “Where are you going?”

Ruby sighed and looked at her. “To the objective, obviously.”

“You know where it is?” Weiss said suspiciously.

“Yeah, I scouted the forest yesterday. I have a pretty good idea of where we are, and I know where it is,” Ruby supplied.

“Isn’t that cheating?” Weiss replied, her hand flying up to her mouth in what looked like honest shock.  _ Ugh, really. How pretentious can you get? _

Ruby didn’t answer the accusation out loud, but merely shrugged. “Just follow me. I won’t go full speed, but I won’t go easy on you either. Or I could just get the relic and come back to get you, which’ll be faster.” With that, she turned and started walking away from the heiress.

Ruby heard footsteps start to follow behind her, their impacts cautious but reasonably fast nevertheless.  _ At least she wore sensible shoes. I was half expecting her to try fighting in heels. _

“How are you so confident in your own skills?”

Ruby answered with steel in her voice. “I have to be.”

\--------------------------------------

Penny was rather disappointed in herself. The sudden launch had disoriented her more than she expected and she had lost sight of Weiss while she tried to readjust. By the time she returned to her full capabilities, she was only able to mentally sketch out a rough perimeter of the area where Weiss could have landed. She began combing through the area immediately, darting in between trees and over small rivers in her haste to find her Atlesian charge. While she normally would have used her swords for an aerial sweep, the unusually dense canopy here posed a challenge.

She had just jumped over a small hill, somewhat lost in her thoughts, when a small roadblock appeared in her path: a dark-skinned, black-haired female student who gazed at the incoming android with an increasingly shocked expression.

_ Wow, her eyes seem really big,  _ Penny thought right before crashing directly into her. 

The pair tumbled down the small hill before coming to rest at the bottom in a pile. Luckily for the other girl, Penny landed on the bottom. Penny wasn’t as heavy as a standard Atlesian Knight was, or as her sisters would be once completed, but she was still more dense than the average person of her size.

“Are you okay?” Penny asked as the girl on top of her began to stir. She didn’t reply immediately, and Penny took the moment to gaze more closely at her temporary partner.

The girl’s hair was cut haphazardly, and her clothes were worn, with patches and holes littering them like those of the identified in-need students Penny had seen. The girl’s appearance was not entirely plain, though; she had striking almond-shaped amber-gold eyes.

But there was something else about this new face: it seemed  _ off. _

_ This feels similar to how Father described face-blindness. _

Penny knew that her eyes were correctly calibrated; it was a routine maintenance task she performed every morning and night. Nevertheless, she couldn’t quite get all of the girl’s face to be in focus at the same time. Penny resisted the urge to try harder to fix the discrepancy. Rapidly dilating and contracting her pupils would have drawn attention to her unusual anatomy.

Instead, she quickly ran through a series of visual filters to attempt to correct the problem. Ultraviolet did not change the situation much, just highlighting the girl’s features and revealing a smattering of freckles that were normally disguised by her naturally dark skin. Infrared had the opposite effect, transforming the girl’s features into an unremarkable blob of color. Except for-

Penny’s eyes flashed towards the bow on top of the girl’s head.  _ Why is a hairbow warm? I guess it’s not  _ much _ warmer than the rest of her clothes, and I doubt I would be able to spot this from a normal distance. Still...  _ She sent out a subsonic pulse of her sonar, and it took only a cursory review of the data for her question to be answered.

_ This girl is a Faunus. She’s doing something to interfere with my facial-recognition systems. And combined with how cleverly-made her hairbow is, it means she’s likely very invested in hiding that fact.  _ Penny’s expression changed from a wide-eyed innocent stare to a grimace.  _ And I’ve just discovered her darkest secret not even a minute into meeting her. _

The girl sat up with a groan and clutched her head before turning on Penny, who suppressed a shiver as the girl regarded her with that extraordinary golden gaze.

“Why are you making that face?” the girl asked cautiously. “If anything, I should be the one who’s upset here. After all, someone ran into me.”

Penny sat back up in a hurry to explain herself. “No, I’m sorry! It wasn’t you, I was just-” *hiccup* “-remembering something unpleasant.”  _ I wish Father had been able to talk the General into removing that feature. _

“Whatever you say,” the girl said with a shrug, standing up from her seated position. “I guess I’d have lots of unpleasant memories if I worked for the _Schnee_ , too,” she added, spitting the name out like a curse and turning away from Penny to gaze out into the forest.

Penny had to admit, the girl’s sharp features really suited the brooding look she now wore. “It hasn’t been all bad,” Penny said softly.

“Let’s just get a move on,” the girl replied in a low voice. She crouched into a runner’s starting stance before adding a final remark over her shoulder. “Blake Nightshade,” she said tersely.

“Penny Polendina,” Penny replied in an upbeat but formal manner. The Faunus nodded and took off into the bushes, apparently confident in Penny's ability to follow.

_ Looks like she’s another one I’m going to have to look after. _

_ Now to find my first charge. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author notes:  
> I'm going to be working on keeping a weekly deadline for myself in the future (there's a longer version of this on Chapter 13 of Therian if you'd like to hear some background and reasoning), but basically what it means is look forward to more regular updates! Should be coming up once every two weeks.
> 
> I definitely want a more emotionally-intelligent Nora (also just more intelligent overall), but sometimes it’s just hard to stop her from Nora-ing all over the page. Hopefully that came across here.
> 
> Torch is another huntsman college! As hinted at by Ruby, it specializes more in “remote” huntsmen. This means it trains people more in outdoors-y skills like mountaineering or geographic scouting. It also trains people for permanent, even lifetime posts in smaller villages and settlements.
> 
> Most of our canon huntsmen seem to drift from town to town or are hired on a commission basis. Correspondingly, their services must be more expensive because of travel costs and the typically larger problems they have to deal with.
> 
> Therefore, smaller and poorer settlements would be better suited to having a single huntsman on the payroll to deal with the occasional rogue Grimm, or to help deal with crime, and this is where many Torch graduates go. Alternatively, one of the more prestigious positions for Torch graduates is to man the walls of a sufficiently large town or city. And for students who’d find these permanent posts boring and pretentious, Torch would also offer training to become essentially Remnant’s equivalent of a park ranger, hence the strong outdoors skills curriculum.
> 
> Launch day! I thought it’s a bit weird that your partners and teams were both permanent AND picked by chance in canon, so I decided to come up with different initiation strategies for all the kingdoms’ top huntsman schools. Here at Beacon, I still preserved launch day and the eye-contact thing, but I decided that the partnerships would be more temporary, like a freshman roommate. Sometimes you click, and sometimes you don’t. It’s more about navigating unfamiliar environments and learning to adapt.
> 
> For story simplicity and my own sanity, the “preliminary” teams of the main cast will continue on after the mandatory two-month minimum, but I just wanted to flesh out the system more for my own edification. I’ll reveal how the rest of the process works in future chapters.
> 
> Some not-so-subtle dunking on the practicality of canon outfits in this chapter.
> 
> Guh, Yang and Pyrrha are the hardest characters to write here and they’re going to be talking A LOT. Why did I do this to myself?
> 
> Penny’s eyes are cameras. And boy, did Blake’s little secret get discovered fast.
> 
> Editor’s Note from volchitsa_of_winterfell: 
> 
> Penny: [notices ur head bulges] OwO what’s this?

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Volchitsa_of_Winterfell
> 
> This story started as a 'what if' involving Penny attending Beacon from the start as Weiss's bodyguard.


End file.
